Touch of Violet
by PearLynn
Summary: A friend from Zuko's past shows up at the Ember Island house, seeking out the banished prince. Her presence sparks a butterfly effect on the events leading up to Sozin's Comet and into the years following the war. Zutara, Taang, Sukka, some brief mentioning of Maiko and slight Kataang. Rated M for language, sexual content and gore.
1. Discovery

_**Touch of Violet**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is property of Nickelodeon, Mike and Bryan. If I did, there would have been major Zutara and Taang action. But in the end, the hero gets the girl, amiright?

This takes place after EIP.

**Chapter 1: Discovery**

A young woman stood in front of the ornate body length mirror attached to the vanity. She sighed as she did a check on herself. Her raven hair was tossed over her shoulder in a four stranded plait. Her lithe body was covered in an all-black ensemble, save the black and gold sash she wore around her waist and the gold stripe up her boots. All of her alabaster skin was covered except her biceps and face, which she kept covered with her bangs and a hood. She turned towards the window, but paused as she set a scroll wrapped in a purple ribbon onto the four poster bed. She climbed through the window sill and glanced one last time at her reflection. In the silver light of the moon, her eyes seemed to glow as they peered back at her. An eerie shade of violet glared back at her as she jumped out into the darkness.

...

"That… wasn't a good play," a young man with shaggy black hair stated.

"I'll say," a petite girl grumbled.

"No kidding," a tan skinned girl with wild brown hair scoffed.

"But the effects were decent!" another young man piped in.

The group of young teens made their way back to the Ember Island house on the beach, all quietly reflecting on the play they had just witnessed. It was a fairly long walk, but not one of the six teenagers made a peep as they trekked down the abandoned road.

Once they reached the front steps, the petite girl threw her hands out to her sides, stopping everyone from walking past her.

"What is it, Toph?" the girl with the auburn hair asked.

"There's someone in the house," Toph answered. "And I've never seen them before. They're just sitting in the living room. Like they're waiting for us."

The group all exchanged serious glances before running up the stairs and breaking through the double doors. As they all assumed fighting stances, the lone figure stopped twirling the knife in her hand and turned to the group. Although she was in the shadows, they could see her silhouette in the moonlight. She stood and threw her hands up in a relaxed surrender gesture.

"Hey, I'm not here to fight you," the stranger said. She stepped out of the shadows and gazed upon the group with piercing purple eyes.

The young man with the shaggy black hair relaxed out of his stance instantly after hearing her voice, "Hera?!"

"Hey, Zuko," she said, smiling.

Zuko immediately strode to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a tight embrace. He was grinning wide and she squeezed his waist.

"How did you- when did you- what is-"Zuko started, but paused, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, turning to his friends, "Guys, this is Hera. She's a very old friend of mine."

Hera bowed in the universal stance, "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Zuko pointed to each member of the group, introducing them as he went, "That's Sokka of the Water Tribe"-gesturing to the young man with the ponytail-"The Kyoshi Warrior Suki"-now to the auburn tressed girl next to Sokka-"Toph Beifong-"

"The greatest earthbender in the world!" Toph yelled.

Zuko sighed and nodded, "Yes she is." Now gesturing to the shorter boy with the arrow tattoos-"This is Avatar Aang, the last airbender."

"It is an honor to be in your presence, Avatar Aang," Hera bowed again. Aang bowed in return, but remained silent.

"And this is Katara of the Water Tribe," Zuko motioned to the tan girl with the brunette hair. He smiled as Hera approached her and bowed.

She stood up straight and faced the entire group, "It's great to meet you all, but I'm here on serious business."

She turned to Zuko and said in a whisper, "Can we talk privately?"

"What's that?" Sokka shouted, "We have no secrets in Team Avatar!"

When he said that, Aang and Katara both blushed and looked away pointedly. Hera rose her eyebrow and shook her head.

"Alright but I do need to catch up with Zuko first, if you don't mind," Hera replied.

"I think whatever you have to say to him, you can say in front of us," Katara said, crossing her arms. Toph mimicked her gesture and narrowed her vacant eyes. Hera narrowed hers as well and stiffened.

"I'm going to go make some tea," Suki whispered, pulling Sokka along with her. Aang slipped away behind them, but headed straight to his room, not caring about their new visitor or anything for that matter.

"Twinkle Toes just left," Toph said, "I'm going to go check on him."

Toph walked away, heading down the hallway to the airbender's room. Katara remained, keeping her eyes locked on the girl in front of her. She took in the stranger's appearance: all black traveling clothes, minus the sash and her boots. She wore wrist bracers and had two daggers strapped to her belt. For all Katara could know, this girl was dangerous.

"Zuko," Katara spoke up after a minute, breaking her eye contact and focusing on the boy standing behind the stranger, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." He walked around Hera, giving her a knowing glance and followed Katara out into the courtyard.

"I don't know if we can trust her," she spat out.

"Why? Because she's Fire Nation?" Zuko retorted, "I'm Fire Nation. Hell, I'm the PRINCE of the Fire Nation and you trust me. And I've done horrible things to you. Believe me when I say, Hera is one of a kind. She's a lot like Uncle in the aspect and ideals about this war. She and I have been friends our entire lives. I used to spend every day with her."

"Oh like Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee?" Katara rose her brow and crossed her arms.

"Nothing like them," Zuko sighed, rubbing his temple. "She was MY friend. They never even talked to her. Actually as far as I knew, Azula hated her."

Katara paused and stared into Zuko's golden eyes. The moonlight made his eyes look almost feral, especially the left one as it squinted behind ragged scarred flesh.

"Alright, fine."

"So I can talk to her alone?"

"If she kills you, don't come crying to me," Katara waved her hand as she walked away, Zuko following close behind. They made their way into the living room area where Hera, Sokka and Suki had sat down on some of the large cushions, sipping the tea Suki just brewed.

"Hera, can I talk to you for a minute outside?" Katara asked menacingly. Hera rose cautiously and followed the waterbender out into the courtyard where Zuko and she just spoke.

"What's up?" Hera asked reluctantly.

Katara wheeled around and looked Hera right in the eyes with a protective glare, "I know you're Zuko's friend and all. But he's a part of our family. If you do ANYTHING that would make me think that you would hurt him or any of us for that matter, don't think I won't hesitate to end you."

With her final word, Katara turned and walked back into the house, leaving Hera out in the summer moonlight.

_A/N This is my first chapter story. So please bear with me. I'll post new chapters whenever I feel like it. So don't feel obliged to R/R, but they are always welcome._

_I promise the next couple of chapters will bring much Zutara-ness, but for now its just like they were at the end of the series._

_3_


	2. Realization

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.

**Chapter 2: Realization**

Hera stood frozen in her place as Katara walked back into the house. Zuko raised his eye brow in puzzlement as the waterbender walked passed him, an air of arrogance floating around her.

"Katara, what did you say to her?" he asked as she passed by, the breeze following her carrying her subtle scent of ocean. Zuko inhaled and flinched as she turned and stared at him, a look of malice in her eyes.

"Just gave her a Team Avatar welcome," she said darkly. Katara turned around and headed up the stairs and down the hall, closing her door loudly as she retreated into her room.

"What's with her?" Sokka asked, setting his cup of tea down onto the low table in front of him.

"I'm not sure," Zuko mumbled. "But I'm going to find out."

Zuko left the living room and headed out to the courtyard where Hera was still standing. She turned her head and saw him, relaxing and smiling at the sight of him.

"Hey," she sighed. He reached her side and scrunched his face in concentration.

"What was that about?" he inquired.

"Oh that?" Hera laughed anxiously, scratching the nape of her neck. "Is she always like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Threatening to kill me if I hurt you."

Zuko chuckled and motioned for Hera to sit next to him on the steps. She followed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the tops of her thighs. Zuko mirrored her but rested the majority of his weight on his left arm so he could turn and look at her.

"Not normally," he sighed. "Well, she was with me. But she had good reason to act that way. For you, I think she believes that since you look dangerous and have an association with the Faction, she thinks you will be trouble."

Hera scoffed and picked up a pebble next to her, rubbing the stone in between the fingers of her right hand, "Azula couldn't convince me to join her little bounty party. Believe me, she tried."

"Say what?"

"She, Mai, and Ty Lee came to my house one day, asking a favor. For some reason, they were hunting down a couple of traitors and the Avatar," she shot him a side glance, "Any chance you know what I'm talking about?"

The humor in her voice made him smile, it was nice having an old friend around even if it was one from his aristocratic life.

"Perhaps," he mused. "How did you get out of that?"

Hera stiffened and clamped her mouth shut. Her ragged breathing made Zuko suspect Azula did something horrible to her. But she took a deep breath and sighed, "I ran away."

"Really?" he said disbelievingly.

"Yeah, I came looking for you," she smiled softly. "I knew you were in the Earth Kingdom. I followed leads for months and by the time I had gotten to Ba Sing Se, you were heading back home. And by the time I got to the Palace, you had already left again. You just LOVE to elude me, don't you?"

"Well I would have been more cooperative if I knew your intentions," he said with a smirk. Hera's smile grew in response and she turned to him fully, grasping his right hand in between her two smaller ones.

"I missed you," she whispered after a moment of silence.

He stayed quiet for a minute but smiled gently, "I missed you, too."

She pulled him into a gentle squeeze, and he softly wrapped his arms around her. She pulled back and rested her gaze on his scar. He knew she was getting revolted so he looked away from her, hiding the scar from her view.

"Zuko…"

"I don't need your sympathy, Hera. I've gotten it enough the past three years."

Hera huffed and grinned, "I was going to say that the last time I saw you, you were trying to get into the war meeting. You never even said goodbye, you punk."

Zuko blanched and turned to look at her skeptically, "Seriously?"

"Yeah," she giggled, "You left me at the turtle duck pond for hours and some servant came to tell me that you had to leave the country."

Zuko bowed his head in shame and shook it back and forth, "It's nothing."

"Oh really? So I have to hear from Azula about what happened? Trust me, that wasn't so pleasant. You could at least have written."

Zuko chuckled at her response, "Is that why you came here? To reprimand me for neglecting to write? You haven't changed a bit, Hera."

She furrowed her brow and sighed, "That's not why I'm here."

Turning towards her fully, Zuko raised an eyebrow and stared into her eyes. They were the same slanted shape as his own, but the irises were a clear and dark purple. In his three year absence, she grew tall, almost his height. Her chin narrowed and her cheekbones were high on her face, much like the majority of aristocrats in the Fire Nation. Her hair was much longer now, pulled into a braid that ended in the middle of her back. Her bangs, however, were much like his: choppy and resting along her forehead, but she normally swept them away and across her right eye, letting her left eye being the only one visible.

"Everyone is mad that you left," she broke the silence.

"I figured."

"The Fire Lord hates you."

"I know."

"Azula wants to kill you."

"What else is new?"

Hera laughed at Zuko's nonchalant response. Her giggle caused Zuko to smirk, but nothing more.

"Why are you here, Hera?" he asked.

She sighed and pulled a scroll out of her pack, handing it to him. The Fire Lord's seal on it was broken and the red ribbon that had wrapped it was haphazardly retied. He untied the bow and unrolled the scroll, scanning the characters on the parchment.

"_Fire Nation Citizen-_

_By decree of Fire Lord Ozai, on the day of the arrival of Sozin's Comet, Crown Princess Azula will be crowned the new Fire Lord, as Fire Lord Ozai will be crowned the Phoenix King. The coronation will take place as the comet soars across the sky, gracing us with its majestic beauty and power._

_The Office of the Fire Lord_."

Zuko reread the characters, furrowing his brow and scrunching his lips, "So Azula will be crowned Fire Lord?"

"Mhm," Hera replied quietly.

"I'm guessing you're telling me this so I can go to the Capital and challenge her for the crown?"

"You catch on quickly," Hera grinned widely.

Zuko sighed heavily and placed the scroll on the ground in between the two teens. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes tightly, "I'm not sure if I could take her alone."

"Well you have me," Hera replied shakily, placing her hand on his shoulder. "And you can bring one of your other friends for backup."

Zuko looked up and saw a flicker of pain cross Hera's eyes. He stayed quiet for a moment, assessing her. The he whispered, "Hera, what did Azula do to you?"

She removed her hand and looked away shamefully, "Nothing."

He reached over to her and placed his hand on her back, but she flinched away and stood up, "No it's something." He stood slowly, watching her as she stared away.

"I need to go," she mumbled, turning around and heading for the beach.

"No," he grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking any further, "we have an extra room. You're staying here."

She relaxed a bit but tried to pull her arm free, Zuko just held on tighter.

"You can help me train Aang and spar a bit with Suki and Sokka. I bet they would like that."

Hera turned around and looked Zuko in the eyes, "Really?"

"Yeah, really," he smiled. "Now come on. We have one extra room left."

He led her inside, walking her up the stairs and down to the end of the hall. The room was obviously old servant's quarters, holding two bunk beds and a small closet. The room was empty, however. The beds were still covered with dust tarps and the curtains were eaten away by moths. The view outside the window overlooked the courtyard and the beach in the distance.

"I know it's not much, but it's better than camping out in the middle of nowhere."

Hera set her bag down on one of the sleeping mats and turned around to Zuko, "Thanks, Zuke."

He smiled at her old affectionate nickname and pulled her into another hug.

"I'm glad I found you," she whispered into his ear.

"Me too," he pulled away and headed out of the room. He made it partially down the hallway when he turned around to see her standing in the doorway watching him leave, "How_ did_ you find me?"

She smirked and tapped her temple with one finger, "I just know you."

Zuko smiled and turned around. As he walked to his room, he passed Katara's door, which was slightly ajar. He poked his head in and she was sitting at the window, looking out at the ocean. She turned and saw him, smiling as she realized it was him eavesdropping on her.

"Can't sleep?" she asked.

"No," he replied, "I just showed Hera her room. She's going to stay and help us for a while."

Katara rolled her eyes and looked back out to the sea, "Great."

Zuko frowned and walked in. He leaned his back against the wall with the window and looked down at her, though she kept her focus on the water in the distance.

"I know you don't like her, but you should give her a chance. You guys are very similar in a lot of ways."

Katara broke her gaze and looked up at him, smirking down at her. He looked almost smug, leaning against her wall with his arms crossed.

"I'll try," she scoffed, turning back to the window, "But if she gives me any reason to doubt her intentions-"

"I know, I know. You'll end her. You said the same to me," Zuko grumbled.

"But this time, it's not Aang I'm worried about," she whispered. He looked at her quizzically and squatted down so they were eye-to-eye.

"She's not going to hurt me," he reassured. "I'm tough enough to take her."

"She has knives."

"And I have stronger fire."

"Wait she's a bender?!"

"Well yeah…"

Katara stood up and marched to her bend and sat down, frowning and biting on her lower lip. Zuko watched her action with deep focus. He shook his head and stood, following her and sat next to her.

"It's going to be fine," he patted her bundled hands on the top of her thigh. She stared at the gesture and smiled up at him. He returned the smile, squeezed her hand gently and stood up, heading to the door.

"Zuko?" Katara called quietly.

"Hmm?" he said as he turned and faced her.

"I know I can trust you and your judgment," he softened and smiled at her words, "And if you trust her, I guess I can trust her, too."

He sighed and placed his hand on his chest, "Thank you."

He turned again and headed out the door, closing it softly behind him. He grinned widely as he strolled down the hall to his room.

...

Blue flames licked the four poster bed, the edges of a note on top of the sheets starting to singe. The purple ribbon that tied the scroll closed was starting to dance as it was drowned in the fire. The characters on the note were starting to burn away, but the message was clear as daylight:

"Azula-

I know your secret. And I _will_ destroy you.

Hera."

A savage scream ripped through the silent and dark night sky.

_A/N From now on, chapters will be longer! Yay! And for the most part, there will be mainly dialogue. That's how I like my stories to flow. If you don't like it, tough nuggets. _

_In case you were wondering, according to the Avatar Wikia page, "The Faction" is Azula, Mai and Ty Lee, even though they weren't ever actually called that in the series. What? Did you think I was going to call them "Ozai's Angels"?_

_In case y'all were wondering, this pretty much is very compliant with canon with where all of the characters are and their relationships leading up to this point. They pretty much will be doing the same things as they did in the show. As for them figuring out what Ozai is planning, just imagine Zuko told them before they went and saw the play. _

_I'm not much of an artist so if someone would like to draw up Hera, that would be stellar. She is supposed to be wearing boots like Zuko's, loose black pants tucked into them, a sash that wraps around her waist and drapes in between her legs (sort of like a loin cloth type thing. Just that typical Fire Nation add-on. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm sorry) a high collared sleeveless black shirt (think June) and black wrist bracers like Katara's. She looks like a total badass. For the most part, when I thought of her in my head, I grabbed different pieces from characters. _

_Thanks for reading!_

_3_


	3. Confliction

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA. It's kind of a given that I don't. Do I REALLY need to tell you guys every chapter? I own the story line and the character(s) I create.

**Chapter 3: Confliction**

As usual, Zuko rose with the sun, feeling its warmth crawl through his limbs as the false dawn lightened the sky. He laid in bed for a while, staring at the ceiling as the first beams of sunlight broke the horizon. With a heavy sigh, he lugged himself out of his bed and stretched. He knew today would be a good day for early morning meditation, so he left his room without his shirt and waltzed down the stairs into the living room area. He stopped when he heard some shuffling below him, but didn't jump when he saw Hera pounce out from the shadows.

"You used to always fall for that," she pouted, sulking away to one of the cushions.

"I was twelve," he sighed, "Why are you up?"

"We rise with the sun, Prince."

Zuko frowned and stretched his arm across his chest, "I'm going out to meditate. Care to join me?"

Hera shot up and bounced on her feet like an excited child, "OOH! Can we spar?!"

"Spar?"

"Yeah spar," she giggled, "You know? Fake fight?"

He chuckled, "I know what a spar is, dummy."

"Okay good," she grabbed his arm and pulled him out into the courtyard, "we're going to spar."

"But-"

"No 'buts'. We haven't sparred in ages and I want to see what you've learned on the high seas," she said with a smirk.

Zuko stared at her for a long minute and sighed in defeat, "Fine."

She smiled and walked to the other side of the courtyard, "Five minutes."

….

Katara woke to the sounds of grunts and thuds. She looked out her window and gasped as she saw Zuko and Hera grappling on the cobblestone.

"Oh I knew she was trouble!" she yelled as she scrambled out of her bed, trying to untangle herself from her sheets. She sprinted down the hall, and flew down the stairs, yelling at the others as she sailed by their doors. The five teens groggily followed her out into the courtyard to witness Zuko and Hera blocking each other's kicks and punches.

Zuko swung his left food low to knock Hera off her feet, but she jumped nimbly away and tackled him to the ground. He landed with a loud 'oof' and she cackled a silly laughter.

"Pinned ya," she said. He growled and rolled her over so she was underneath him, his legs straddled her stomach but she bucked her hips upward and twisted her legs around and thrusted him back onto the ground with a thud, knocking the wind out of him.

"Pinned ya, again."

He blew a lock of hair out his good eye and then realized four more pairs of eyes and one set of feet were watching them.

"Looks like we have an audience," he murmured lowly, breaking eye contact as he gestured to the crowd standing under the threshold of the courtyard. Hera looks up at them and sat up, letting go of Zuko's wrists but settling her weight on his stomach, causing him to grunt.

"Hi!" she chirped brightly, "Sorry if we woke you!"

"It was worth it," Sokka said. Toph and Suki simultaneously elbowed him in his ribs, resulting in a soft 'ow'.

"So you weren't fighting?" Katara added skeptically.

Zuko sat up and shoved Hera off of his lap playfully, "Sparring, Katara."

"It looked intense," Katara added.

"We weren't bending," he said lowly, narrowing his eyes at his comrade.

"You can bend?!" Aang piped up excitedly.

Hera blushed and rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah…"

"Why do you seem embarrassed? Bending is awesome!" Toph shouted.

Zuko looked back at Hera, who shrugged at him.

"You want to do an Agni Kai?" she asked.

Zuko froze and furrowed his brow. He took a deep breath and nodded grimly.

"I promise I won't burn you on purpose," she winked. Zuko blanched at her comment and threw her a dark look, scowling like he used to on his ship. He stood and walked to the far edge of the courtyard, facing away from the group.

Katara watched the exchange between the two and felt a rush of concern for Zuko after witnessing his expression when Hera mentioned doing the duel. He seemed to almost regress back into that stony faced man he was just a couple months ago. And for some reason, seeing that look on Zuko's face scared Katara.

….

A manic woman paced the room, back and forth, almost making grooves in the carpet beneath her feet.

"No she can't tell them…"

She glanced at her mirror, thinking she saw someone move behind her.

"Who's there?! I command you to come out!" she shouted into the shadows. She paused and then continued to pace the floor. Her hair was knotted and dirty from her grabbing it and pulling the strands. But she kept twisting it and fisting the hair in her shaking hands.

She looked back at the mirror and her golden eyes were rimmed with red, and they were full of fear and desperation. Azula felt a hot tear run down her cheek, "She can't tell them."

….

Zuko and Hera kneeled at opposite sides of the courtyard. Their heads were bowed and their fists were rested at their sides. Zuko stayed shirtless and Hera donned her under wrappings and a pair of loose-fitting black capris.

"Okay!" Sokka bellowed across to the opponents, "Here are the rules! No killing! No purposed burning! Loser makes lunch! AAAAAND AGNI KAI!"

"That's not how they start, Sokka-"

"Just stand up, Zuko!"

Zuko stood and turned to face Hera, who was already in a fighting stance.

"You ready, Prince?"

"Thought you'd never ask," he replied darkly, a shadow crossing his features. Katara recognized this look. It was the same frightening one he gave her at the North Pole. His voice even had the same arrogant edge as it did back then, something he had lost some time ago. This wasn't the Zuko they had all grown to love fighting out there, this was the old Prince Zuko, who fought endlessly for his honor. The thought of that made Katara pale and a shiver run down her spine.

Zuko started off by shooting an orange fireball in which Hera easily deflected. He sent a barrage of fire towards her, nearly knocking her over as she rolled out of the way. Zuko was completely on the offense, punching and kicking fire towards Hera, who was gradually approaching him. Once she came into reaching distance, they began hand-to-hand combat.

"You're… going to… have to… show them… eventually," he growled in between jabs.

"I know…" she breathed. She grabbed his wrist and wrung it around and stared into his eyes before smirking. He got a round of déjà vu, it was so similar to what Azula did when she first tried to trick him into going home. He punched fire with his open hand and she back flipped away. When she landed, she crouched low and punched a single fire ball in his direction. The makeshift audience gasped when he dodged the blast, not because he narrowly escaped, but because the fire that shot from her finger tips was a brilliant purple.

Aang's, Sokka's, Katara's and Suki's jaws were on the floor as they watched the exchange of orange and violet flames. Katara noted how the color was strikingly similar to her eyes, believing it was a unique trait.

The fight was suddenly over when Zuko was towering over Hera, a small flame extending from his right index finger pointing at her heart. Her hair had fallen out of her braid and fanned out on the stone beneath her. She was grinning widely and panting. Zuko's face, however, was still a grim mask. Hard and unmoving. Hera laughed and shook Zuko out of his revere, which he smirked and stood up, offering her his hand to help her stand.

"How did- who the- HUH?" Aang sputtered as he pointed at Hera.

Hera held up her hand to silence him, "It's a long and monotonous story. I'm pretty sure it would put you all to sleep."

Zuko smirked again and nudged her on the shoulder.

"Oh! I guess that means I'm making lunch!" Hera exclaimed as she skipped to the kitchen. Toph had already wondered off, Sokka, Aang, and Suki were recounting the match, acting out the details and moves.

Katara approached Zuko cautiously, keeping a keen eye on his face. He had collapsed tiredly on the cobble stone, closing his eyes as the sun beat down on him.

"Are you okay?" Katara inquired.

"Hmm?" he opened his good eye to see who was talking to him, then closed it. "Yeah I'm fine. What's up?"

"You just kind of worried me out there."

Zuko opened both eyes and sat up, resting his weight on his forearms behind him, "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," she mumbled, "Forget I said anything."

He frowned, "If you say so."

"Did you have a good chat with her last night?"

Zuko sighed and nodded, "She has good intentions, Katara."

"Right," she started walking away when he called out to her.

"Hey Katara?"

"Yeah?" she said, turning around to face him again.

"Can you meet me out here tonight?"

Katara smiled and nodded.

"When the moon is highest in the sky."

"Okay, deal."

….

The waxing gibbous moon hung high in the sky. Katara sat alone in the courtyard, twiddling her thumbs as she waited for the prince to arrive.

"Hey there," a raspy voice came from behind her. She turned and saw the scarred teen leaning against the pillar behind her. He sauntered over and sat gracefully next to her on her right. He kept his distance and kept his gaze on the moon.

"So why did she decide to come here?"

"You get right to the point don't you?" Zuko chuckled.

"I don't beat around the bush, Zuko," Katara replied curtly.

"Trust me, I know," he sighed. Zuko paused for a moment, obviously trying to figure out where to start. He sighed lowly but kept his gaze up, "She hates Azula. She hates Ozai. She hates everything the Fire Nation is standing for. She wants to end this war as much as we do."

"That's it?"

Zuko snickered, "Oh and she owes me."

"Owes you what?"

He was silent again then lowered his head so he looked down at his feet, "Her life."

Katara froze. She never really thought about Zuko's life before he became the banished prince, hunting the Avatar around the world. She didn't think that he would ever help anyone in his spoiled state, let alone have them in debt for their life.

"What happened?"

He sighed again and finally turned to face her, "Don't let her know I told you, okay?"

Katara nodded as Zuko shifted so he was laying down, one leg extended, one bent as he rested his elbow on his knee. She dubbed this his "story-telling pose".

"Hera was born blind."

Katara gasped and Zuko rose his eyebrow at her again. But he continued on:

"She found out she could firebend at a very young age, before anyone else our age had. Normally, firebenders learn of their abilities around the age of three or four. Hera found out when she was about to turn two. Her parents always brought her over because our mothers were close. See, her father was on my father's war council. He's actually the general I…"

Zuko froze and swallowed thickly.

"You what?" Katara muttered.

Zuko shook his head and frowned, "That's a story for another time."

She nodded and he took a deep breath, "Because she was brought to the palace often, she and I became very close, even at a young age. Even with her blindness, we became the best of friends. Often we would feed the turtle ducks together when our mothers were busy doing things. She was like the little sister I wish Azula had been. Loving, friendly, always looking after me when I needed it. Azula had Mai and Ty Lee, so she never bothered us. In fact, she resented Hera because of her highly developed firebending at her young age. Azula was particularly envious of Hera's special skill. Even though she was blind, she could see with her firebending. She could feel the heat coming off of things and register them as objects in her mind. It is very similar to-"

"Toph."

"Yes, very much like Toph."

"Well, Hera isn't blind anymore. What happened?"

"I'm getting there, have patience," Zuko chuckled. "About a month after my mother vanished, she came to visit in the middle of the night. We snuck to the turtle duck pond and talked about my mom. I missed her a lot and just couldn't shake myself out of a depression. So Hera came to help. Out of nowhere, something hit Hera and she fell into the pond." Katara gasped. "I yelled for the guards and dove in after her. The water was very deep and because she was blind, she couldn't swim."

Zuko sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "I don't know what happened, but the next thing I knew, I was pulling her out and trying to get her to breathe."

He stopped and took in a shuddering breath. Katara rubbed his back in silent comfort.

"She was just lying there, lifeless. The guards lifted her up and ran her to the palace infirmary. I sat in the grass, trying not to break down. But that's when I spotted a rock and blood on the grass around it. So I sprinted after the guards. I got into her room and told the nurse about the rock. That information saved her life."

"Zuko…"

"She woke up the next week. I was in the room after my tutoring session when she opened her eyes. Instead of the milky gold they used to be, they were a vibrant purple. It shocked me to my core. I had no idea what was going on, but it was amazing. She stared right at me for the longest time and smiled. She whispered my name and held my hand. It was truly a miracle. The nurses had no idea how it happened."

Katara nodded as Zuko smiled wider than she's ever seen.

"When she got released, her parents had her attend the Royal Fire Nation Academy for Girls, my sister school. One day during our free period, she snuck behind me and pulled me away from everyone else. She showed me her purple fire. The professors had never seen anything like it before. It was the same shade of her new eyes. It was miraculous."

Katara stared at Zuko as his gaze returned to the stars, "The last time I saw her was before… my banishment. Yesterday was the first time I've seen her in three years. That whole time I was gone, Azula did something to her. If I hadn't left, I could have prevented it. The worst part is, I don't even know what happened. And I couldn't help because I wasn't there!"

He sighed and stood up suddenly. Katara was stunned as he shook his head back and forth, as if he was trying to rock a memory out of his head.

"Zuko?"

He stopped and stared at her. For a long moment, their eyes remained locked. But he broke the link as he stomped away back into the house, leaving Katara alone again.

She sat in shocked silence. Zuko's random outburst was recently uncharacteristic for him. Hera's presence, for some reason, was causing Zuko to relapse into his old self. And Katara hated it.

"He's not coming back."

Katara jumped and turned around to see Hera walking gracefully out of the shadows. She sat to Katara's left and started unbraiding and rebraiding her hair.

"Why did you want to know about me?" Hera whispered, suddenly sounding vulnerable.

"I wanted to know if I could trust you."

"Zuko trusts me. Is that not enough?"

"He doesn't have the best track record with us."

"Oh yes, I do recall him being pretty hell-bent on his honor," Hera said lightly. "It's kind of a family trait."

"And so is being evil…"

"He's never been like that."

Katara lowered her head and sighed, "I know. I trust him now. But that doesn't mean I entirely trust you yet."

"I understand."

There was a moment of silence between the two girls but Katara spoke up quietly, "Zuko thinks something happened to you recently. Did Azula do something to you after he got banished?"

Hera stopped messing with her hair and sighed. She looked up and spotted a pair of mix matched gold eyes hidden in the shadows.

"She requested I joined her in the hunt for Zuko and Iroh after the siege at the North Pole was finished. She told me they were traitors and it would be the greatest honor for the Fire Nation for me to join her and bring them to justice. And being Zuko's best friend, I really couldn't do that to him. So I turned her down. About a week later, she broke into my house and decided to teach me a lesson."

Hera hesitantly turned so her backside was to Katara. She lifted up her shirt so the skin on her back was visible. Katara gasped when she gazed upon the marred skin on the firebender's back. The scars were long and thin, warping the skin on her spine and raising up like red mountains sitting in a valley of snow. Katara recognized this kind of scar. The texture was identical to the scar on the back of a certain bald monk inside the house.

"Why did she do this?" Katara whispered, on the verge of tears.

Hera turned around and lowered her shirt, "Azula doesn't take 'no' for an answer very well."

Katara frowned and watched Hera stand and walk to the house.

"You should get some rest, Katara. You're going to need it."

With that Hera walked inside, passing a stunned Zuko and walking up the stairs to her room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Katara stood and walked towards the house and jumped when Zuko grabbed her arm lightly.

"Don't do that, Zuko. You scared me."

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly. "Her back… It's my fault isn't it?"

"No!" Katara reached up and pulled Zuko into a hug. "Azula is cruel and terrible. You know this first-hand."

"But-"

"No 'buts', Zuko," Katara murmured into his ear, stroking the back of his head. He clutched onto her a little tighter. "She made her own decision. And she survived. That's all that matters."

He nodded, "I think I should go talk to her."

"That would be wise," Katara pulled away and smiled genially at him. He lifted one corner of his mouth and dropped his arms. He slumped his shoulders and turned to walk up the stairs. He sulked down the hallway and reached Hera's door. He knocked once and opened it.

"Hera?"

He was answered with soft sobbing coming from the bed in the corner.

"Hera, can we talk?"

"Go away," a muffled voice said to him. He walked over and sat next to her slumped body, stroking her hair as she sobbed into her pillow.

"You remember when I tried to braid your hair? It just ended up becoming a huge knot?"

Hera sniffed and nodded her head.

"Azula never let me play with hers. I just wanted to be nice."

"And you were," Hera whispered.

"Mother let me play with her hair. It was so much nicer than mine."

"You still have nice hair, Zuke," she giggled.

Zuko smile and stayed silent as Hera calmed down, stroking her hair as the sobs left her body.

"Hera, what happened with Azula?"

She didn't answer at first, but she turned her head so only one cheek was pressed against the tear-stained pillow, "I told you. She asked me to join her and I said 'no'."

"That's not it."

Hera sat up and wiped her eyes. Shaking her head, she replied quietly, "She whipped me with lightning the next night."

Zuko's fists balled in fury and smoke shot out of his nose, "I'll kill her!"

"Zuko, stop." Hera pressed her hands on Zuko's chest, "It's over now."

"But she hurt you because of me!" he snapped.

Hera shook her head, "It was my decision to turn her down. And I owed you."

"But that doesn't mean throw away the life I helped save! What if she did something worse to you?! How could I forgive myself?!"

Hera bristled at his comment and sighed, "It was my decision. It was also my decision to try and find you."

Zuko remained quiet for a moment, staring into Hera's purple eyes, relishing in their unique properties.

"What happened when you went back to the Capital after the eclipse?" Zuko didn't know why he was asking, but he felt like she wasn't being completely honest with him.

Hera sighed and rubbed her eyes, "I arrived at the palace looking for you. Azula found me and told me you left and that you had been branded a traitor and that I might as well stop looking for you. She requested that I stayed, seeming Mai and Ty Lee were incapacitated at the time. Azula was being to fall off her rocker, asking strange favors of me, like making her special tea and fetching specific servants for tedious jobs."

"Special tea?"

"I'm not entirely sure what was in it, but I think it was some kind of depressant. She was becoming very manic," Hera inhaled a shuddering breath and exhaled slowly. "She was becoming so paranoid that she came into my room one night about two weeks ago demanding I told her where you were. She thought I was a spy and I was feeding information to you from the inside. I told her I didn't know but she didn't believe me. So she ripped my sleeping gown off and…"

She broke into sobs again. Zuko grabbed her and pulled her into his lap so she could cry into his chest. For some reason, he didn't feel shocked about what Hera just told him. Azula was notorious for torturing prisoners, even her lovers were leaving her quarters worse for wear.

Zuko tried to hush her, but her sobs were raking through her entire body, "Hera, sshh. She won't hurt you anymore."

"That's not true," she whispered back. "She'll find me again and kill me."

He shook his head and kissed her temple and rubbed her back in gentle circles, "I won't let her hurt you. Over my dead body."

Hera's shoulders shook in silent laughter, "Thanks, Zuke."

"Anything for you."

"She hasn't been taking her tea for over a week, I'm sure of it. When the comet comes next week, she will have lost her mind completely. The sages are crowning her that day, she won't be in the right mind to fight you."

Zuko nodded and squeezed her closer. She sighed and snuggled against his chest. After a while, she calmed down and fell asleep against him. He lifted her up and tucked her in under her covers. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "Good night," before quietly walking out the door. After he closed it, he headed back down the hall towards his room.

"Is she okay?" Katara poked her head out as he passed by. He stopped and nodded solemnly.

"She's bent out of shape really bad, I don't think she's ever going to be the same," he sighed.

Katara pulled him into another hug and rubbed his back. Zuko nuzzled his face into the crook of her shoulder and neck and inhaled a deep breath of her scent. Katara shivered when he exhaled a hot breath against her bare skin.

"Are you cold?" he murmured, his voice vibrating against the sensitive spot. She shook her head and pulled him closer. When Katara hugged him, it felt different than when he hugged Hera. Hera's hugs were light and friendly, Katara's were deep and comforting. He loved holding onto her, breathing in the ocean that lingered on her skin. _Wait a second,_ he thought,_ I shouldn't be thinking these things about her. She's just a friend. And Aang likes her. If he even knew I was thinking about how much I loved her hugs, especially after the play, he'd go Avatar State on my ass and knock me out until the comet comes again._

Katara shifted so she was closer to him, her entire body pressing against his, "You're a good friend. And a good man, Zuko. Don't forget it."

He sighed and felt her press herself even closer to him, rubbing her body almost entirely on his own. Blushing, he pulled away and cleared his throat.

"I'm going to go to bed," he mumbled. She slid her hands down his arms and grasped his wrists.

"If you need anything, you know where I am, okay?"

"Alright."

"You have to promise," she said with a smile.

Zuko rolled his eyes, "I promise."

"Good," Katara paused, as if she was in thought. She leaned up on her toes and planted a chaste kiss on Zuko's scarred cheek. He froze and then burned hotly with a blush.

"Good night," she whispered as she closed her door behind her. He reached up and touched the spot where she kissed him, still warm from the touch of her lips. In a daze, Zuko walked to his room and shut the door behind him quietly. He took off his shirt and boots and laid down in his bed, still blushing from his unexpected kiss.

_A/N Dun dun dun! Azula is evil. That's original. And trust me, there's more to the story of her and Hera. It's bad. Sorry guys._

_In my original draft, there was some major Zura going on, but I decided against it in the long run. You'll see why in a few chapters. _

_Much love to my readers! Thanks for the reviews!_

_3_


	4. Uncovered

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA. Doi.

_A/N this chapter contains some more mature themes. Please be wary._

**Chapter 4 Uncovered**

"Zuko!" a muffled voice yelled. _A pair of blue eyes faded into the darkness. _Zuko's head felt like it was going to explode. Today was the WORST day for having a headache.

"Hmphmph…"

"ZUKO!" the voice was outside his door now.

"Noooooo….." Zuko groaned. The person behind the door knocked several times before speaking again.

"Zuko! Aang needs you for drills!"

"Have Hera do it," he growled into his pillow.

"She's at the market with Katara, Suki, and Toph. Can I come in?"

Zuko sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes, "Yes, come in Sokka."

Sokka opened the door and poked his head through the slight opening, "You decent?"

"No, I'm butt naked and throbbing," Zuko spat dryly, "You want to see?"

"EW! NO!"

Zuko flinched at the volume of Sokka's voice and crankily muttered, "I'm wearing pants, you moron."

Sokka pulled himself all the way into the room, keeping his eyes covered momentarily but lowering his hands when he reached the bed, "You dreaming about someone?"

"No, why?" he lied.

"Well, when I wake up with a boner it's usually because I had a good dream," Sokka added with a wink.

"Sokka, seriously?"

"Was it about Mai? Toph? It better not have been about Katara-"

Zuko blushed when Sokka said his sister's name, but he cut the warrior off, "I didn't have a wet dream, Sokka. Drop it."

"What's a wet dream?" Aang's head popped up around the door and he walked in.

"It's… uh…" Zuko scratched his head as the airbender sat on the foot of the bed.

"It's a dream about being underwater," Sokka said triumphantly. "They're _so_ strong, that you wake up wet like you had been swimming. They're_ always_ happy, too."

Zuko snickered but stopped when Aang looked at him questionably, "So… Oh! I think I've had one of those!"

Sokka and Zuko looked at each other and laughed hysterically. Aang looked confused at the two, "I guess I have them a lot because I'm the Avatar and I'm in touch with my spiritual side."

Zuko stopped laughing and shook his head, "That's not how it works, buddy."

"Well Katara is in them," Aang stated. "And she's a waterbender. I think that's why I wake up wet."

Zuko paled and sweatdropped and Sokka turned red in rage.

"YOU-"

"Sokka, maybe you should give him a better description," Zuko hastily cut in. "He doesn't understand."

"I don't want him to understand!"

"Why can't I understand-"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Sokka bellowed.

"Why are you yelling, Sokka?" Katara walked into the room. Her eyes went from a red-faced Sokka, to a confused looking Aang, then finally a shirtless Zuko. She stared at his chiseled chest for a long moment and then averted her eyes, blushing. Zuko smirked and tried to suppress a blush of his own.

"We're talking about wet dreams and Sokka is mad that I have them about you," Aang stated matter-of-factly. "I don't see what the big deal is."

Katara's face was struck with utter horror, "I… uh…"

"Why is everyone is Zuko's room?" Hera's voice called from the hallway.

"Aang is confused about wet dreams," Zuko said after realizing neither of the Water Tribe siblings were going to speak. Hera pushed around Katara and smiled sympathetically at Zuko when she caught his eye.

"Aang," Hera said calmly, "Come with me. We haven't talked and I want to get to know you."

She led the airbender out of the room and over her shoulder, she mouthed to Zuko _"You owe me!"_

Sokka relaxed and suddenly broke into a fit of giggles once Aang was down the stairs. Katara's still-shocked expression was quite a sight to see, "Katara, calm down. The kid doesn't know what it means."

"When I was his age, I knew what it means!" she squeaked.

"In his defense," Zuko started, "he lived with monks. That kind of shit is like taboo to them."

"And you lived with me," Sokka chuckled.

"Wait, why were you talking about wet dreams in the first place?" Katara asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at the boys in front of her.

"Zuko said he had a kickstand and I made fun of him about it."

"I never said I had morning wood, Sokka!"

"Zuko! Who were you thinking about?!" Katara sat on his bed, bouncing up and down in excitement.

"No one!" Zuko burned hotter, "I didn't have a dream about anyone!"

"Was it about Mai-"

"No."

"Ty Lee?"

"What the fuck?! NO!"

"Toph?!"

"NOOOO!"

"What about Toph?!" the girl in question yelled from her room down the hall.

"NOTHING!" the trio screamed.

"Would you guys stop?! I was only kidding when I said that to Sokka," Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"Aww man!" Sokka slumped his shoulders and pouted.

"Zuko, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were just covering up something," Katara smirked and wiggled her eyebrows. Zuko glared at her and he felt the blush creeping back up his cheeks.

"Wait a second," Sokka perked up. "Did something happen with you and Hera last night?!"

"Nothing happened," Zuko grumbled. Katara narrowed her eyes and was about to speak when-

"GUYS! LUNCH IS READY!" Suki's voice called from the kitchen downstairs. Sokka grinned and raced out of the door, speeding down the stairs leaving Katara and Zuko alone in his room.

"I slept past breakfast?" Zuko asked, "Shit. That never happens unless I'm sick."

Katara frowned and pressed her hand against his forehead, "Well you are feeling kind of feverish."

Zuko blushed at the contact, but he grabbed her hand and lowered it from his face, "Firebender, remember? I just have a bad headache, that's all."

Katara looked down at his hand clasping hers and she blushed. She pulled her hand away and stood up, brushing non-existent dust off her skirt, "We better get downstairs before Sokka eats all of the food."

She turned and headed to the door, but faced him again in the archway, "What exactly happened with Hera?"

Zuko sighed and stood, stretching his stiff muscles. Katara stared as he lifted his arms above his head and arched his back. He caught her staring and smirked. He bent over and picked up his discarded shirt and pulled it over his head.

"Azula whipped her with lightning."

Katara gasped, "WHAT?!"

"SSHH!"

"Sorry."

"Azula sent Mai and Ty Lee to prison. So when Hera came back to the Capital looking for me, Azula conned her into staying. The princess was convinced that Hera was going to double-cross her like Mai and Ty Lee so I'm assuming… That she raped Hera. Or something along the lines of that. She wasn't very clear… I think her back isn't the worst of her scars."

Katara sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Well let's go downstairs and be good friends for her, okay?"

"Friends?" Zuko smiled.

"Don't push it, Sparky," Katara grinned and poked him in the chest. He followed her down the stairs, groaning.

"Not you, too?"

She turned to face him, "I can always come up with something different."

"I would prefer if you didn't," he glared at her down his nose. She smirked and turned forward again. Zuko was frozen on his stair.

"I think I'll start brainstorming now!" she called as she flounced the stairs. Zuko groaned again and shook his head as he followed her.

….

After a filling lunch, Aang and Zuko resumed their training, drilling forms and techniques well into the late afternoon. Hera and Sokka were sitting on the stairs discussing different types of knives and their uses, while Suki and Toph were sunbathing. Katara was inside making drinks for everyone when she started eavesdropping on Sokka's and Hera's conversation.

"No, trust me when I say that kind of knife is pointless if you already have your boomerang," Hera laughed, "Especially if you want to attach it to another boomerang."

"Hey, I like to be creative. Keep my enemies on their toes!" Sokka jumped up into a crouch, but emphasizing standing on his toes. Katara walked outside when she heard Zuko yell.

"Now roar like a tiger-dillo!"

Aang failed miserably and Zuko berated him again. Katara couldn't help but giggle at the interaction.

"Who wants a nice cold glass of watermelon juice?" she offered.

Aang turned around giddily and started running towards her, "OOH! Me!"

But Zuko hindered his movement by grabbing the collar of his shirt, "Hey wait! You're not finished yet!"

"Oh come on, Zuko!" Hera chimed in, "Give the kid a break. Agni knows, he needs his strength for when the comet comes."

Zuko let go and crossed his arms as Aang sped away towards Katara and the watermelon juice, "Fine, if you guys want to sit around like a bunch of snail sloths all day, be my guest!"

He stormed off to the side of the house, leaving the group sitting on the steps. The teens could have sworn they could see steam exiting his ears and nose.

"Are all Fire Nation nobles like that or are you the only normal one?" Katara called to Hera.

"Oh most of them are like that," Hera giggled. "If you aren't then there's something wrong with you."

"Alright so what's wrong with you?" Toph said bluntly.

"Toph!" Katara scolded.

"Hey, she said it."

Hera's lips had pressed into a hard line, trying to figure out what to say. She locked eyes with Katara, who was sending her a look of sympathy.

"I… had humble beginnings," she said flatly.

"What do you mean?" Suki asked, sitting up from her lounging position. All eyes were on Hera as she struggled to figure out what to say. She was about to speak when Zuko emerged from his hiding spot. He was frowning at them all and crossed his arms when he stopped in front of the stairs.

"Sparky, you need to relax," Toph sighed. "You're way too tense."

"You should have seen him back BEFORE he was on our side!" Sokka snorted. Zuko's scowl deepened.

"Oh boy," Hera relaxed and smiled, "What did he do?"

"Don't get into this, Sokka. I'm warning you," Zuko growled.

"Oh he tracked us around the world, trying to kill us and all," Sokka stated, closing his eyes and lifting an index finger towards the sky.

"I didn't try to kill you!"

"Well I do recall an instance where I was tied to a tree," Katara chimed in.

"Katara, seriously?"

"And he had that ridiculous ponytail," Aang laughed.

"Was there ever a time that he _didn't _try to kill us?" Sokka added.

"I DIDN'T TRY TO KILL YOU!"

The group all paused at Zuko's outburst, staring at him with wide eyes. Then they all, excluding the Fire Prince in question, started to laugh uncontrollably. Steam was starting to come out of his ears again.

"Zuzu, calm down!" Hera chuckled.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" he bellowed. The group all became silent and stared at him again. They all burst into fits of laughter for a second time, including Zuko.

Once they calmed down, Sokka turned to Hera and smiled, "I'm serious, Hera. You're a lot more different than any Fire Nation noble we've ever met."

Hera lowered her eyes to her lap and formed a small smile, "Thanks, I guess."

"What did you mean when you said you had 'humble beginnings'?"

Zuko and Katara both shot a look in Sokka's direction, one he obviously missed.

Hera took a deep breath and sighed, "It's a long story."

"Well I'm just saying," Sokka replied. "If you hung out with Zuko so much, it couldn't have been THAT humbling."

Katara and Zuko simultaneously smacked their foreheads at Sokka's remark.

Hera stood up abruptly and glared down at him, "Well seeming that I didn't SEE anything, it didn't matter who I hung out with."

She stormed away, pushing through the doors and retreating to her room. Suki smacked Sokka on the back of his head and he groaned in pain. Aang and Toph both look incredibly confused, but then realization dawned across Toph's face and she frowned.

"What was that about?" Aang asked. Toph elbowed his ribs as Zuko passed by. Katara stood to follow but he placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. He headed forward to the door, keeping the scowl on his face.

"Zuko, what's going on?" Suki probed.

Zuko turned around and looked down at the group on the stairs. He sighed and closed his eyes, "Hera used to be blind."

With that, he entered the house and headed to her room.

"Am I done with training now?" Aang whispered. Toph launched him in the air with a well-placed boulder and he groaned when he hit the path.

"I know what we should do!" Sokka shouted as he stood up and ripped off his outer clothes. "BEACH PARTY!"

….

Zuko searched the entire house for Hera. She wasn't in her room, or anyone else's rooms for that matter. The kitchen was empty, as was the living room. The front porch was vacant and frankly, a little dirty. He was about to give up as he passed her room a second time when he heard her soft and slightly scratchy voice carry from inside.

"_Leaves from the vine… Falling so slow… Like fragile, tiny shells. Drifting in the foam… Little soldier boy… Come marching home… Brave soldier boy… Comes marching home…"_

He walked slowly through her room as she sang softly. When he reached the window sill, he saw her sitting out on the roof, feet dangling over the side. She was staring out to the ocean with deep intensity, disregarding Zuko's presence, if she had even noticed him. The sun was setting over the horizon and reflecting orange and red into the sky and across the sea.

"I didn't know you knew that song," Zuko murmured as he climbed through the window and sat next to her.

"Iroh taught me before he left for Ba Sing Se," she whispered.

"Yeah, he loved that song," he sighed. "And listening to you sing. I haven't heard you sing in so long."

"There's no time for singing in war."

"Uncle once told me that the arts were a good separation, something to keep our minds away from the war."

"Your uncle is an optimist," she said darkly.

Zuko frowned as he stared at her, whose eyes were still focused on the sea.

"What do you think will happen when the war is over?" she whispered after a few minutes.

_That's a good question. If we win, I'll be Fire Lord. There will be peace and prosperity. We won't have to live in fear anymore._ He swallowed thickly. _If we lose, we all die. _"I really don't know," he admitted after much thought.

She sighed and turned to look at him. The light of the fading sun made her skin look orange, her eyes a sharp contrast in the sunlight. She focused on his scar, which was obviously bathed in the sunlight much like her face was.

"Do they know?" she whispered.

"About what?"

"You know," she gestured to his scar. He frowned and turned away, now making it his turn to stare at the ocean.

"I don't think it is relevant to them. It doesn't change anything. They already hate my father and I'm sure even with the knowledge of what he did, they can't hate him anymore."

"I'm not saying it's so they hate him more," Hera said curtly, "it's so they understand _you_ more."

He turned and glared at her.

"They don't know why you are the way you are, Zuko," she added lowly. "If you let them in, maybe they would be more understanding. I saw the way Katara looked at you during our Agni Kai. She was afraid. And it's because she doesn't know what happened in the last Agni Kai you fought in-"

"It wasn't the last one I fought in, Hera."

"Zhao doesn't count. Besides, if they knew perhaps they would possibly forgive you more for what happened in the past."

Zuko scoffed and stared back at the ocean, "What do you want me to do? Sit them down at dinner and say 'Oh hey guys. You want to know how I got my scar? Well I spoke out of turn and my father blasted my face off with a fireball!' Yay! Everyone is happy and we can all eat sun shines and smiles."

He stood up angrily and glared down at Hera, who had a stoic mask on her face.

"What I'm saying, Zuke, is that you need to talk to _someone_ about it."

"And what _I'm_ saying, Hera, is you need to stay out of my business."

He stormed away, climbing through the window and stomping out of her room. She could hear his feet climb down the stairs and a minute later watched as he walked across the courtyard towards the beach. He didn't even stop and turn to face her. And when he vanished from her sight, the last of the sun tucked away in the horizon. Hera sighed and rubbed her forehead. _I'm so stupid._

A faint squawking in the distance made Hera snap her head up. She could see the bird approaching. She lifted her arm out and the hawk grasped its talons on her forearms. There was a scroll on his back and by the looks of the red ribbon with the blue tips, she knew exactly who it was from. She pulled the scroll out and the hawk flew away, back into the night sky.

Hera unrolled the scroll and stood up, turning to face the house. She clambered through her window and sat on her bed, reading and re-reading the note. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and her lungs were constricting to the extent where she couldn't breathe.

"_Hera-_

_I assume you have found my disgrace of a brother and his motley crew. No matter. This is a warning. If you don't surrender yourself by the dawn of the day before the comet arrives, I will find all of you and kill you one by one. I will leave you and Zuko last so you can look in his eyes as I gauge them out._

_Azula."_

Hera paled as the message settled in. It was true that she had only been with "Team Avatar" for two days now, but they treated her like family for the most part. And knowing Azula, that fate for her new friends would be too painful for her to bear. She couldn't let that happen.

She inhaled sharply and stood up. Her little belongings were already packed for the next couple of days to come, so she slung her pack over her shoulder and scrawled a message on a scrap piece of parchment. It was déjà vu as Hera climbed out the window once more, scaled the side of the building and disappeared into the night.

….

"She wants to be left alone," Zuko growled as he passed the group, who had just come inside from their little impromptu beach party.

"We heard yelling," Suki said from her place on the floor.

"Drop it," he snapped as he headed for the back door.

"Zuko, tell us what happened-"

"I SAID DROP IT!" he yelled, not even turning to face them as he exited the house and stormed towards the beach. The group stared in his direction, all flabbergasted at his reaction.

"Let me go talk to him," Katara mumbled as she stood up and followed the angry firebender to the sea. She heard a hawk cawing above but made no note of it. When she reached the sand, she spotted Zuko to her left, standing knee-deep in the tide. His back was to her and his gaze was looking downward at the water, his hands touching his reflection. She walked silently behind him and ended on his right, crossing her arms behind her back. He remained stoically silent for a couple of minutes, keeping his eyes on his reflection.

"Do you ever wonder?"

She furrowed her brow, confused on his odd and open question. Even from an angle, she could see the hurt in his eyes. It was almost as plain as the hurt in his voice.

"Wonder about what?"

He smirked sadly, "You know what."

She sighed and after a beat she replied, "Sometimes. But it isn't my business so I never want to pry."

"Why?"

"Your past is your own business. If you don't want to tell me, I respect your decision."

He turned slightly, so she could only see the vague edges of his left side. He smiled sadly again, pain swimming in his eyes, "Thank you, Katara."

"Anytime, Zuko," she smiled in return. He reached his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a loose hug, resting his chin on the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around his narrow waist.

"You can tell me when you're ready," she whispered as she nuzzled her face into his chest. She thought she imagined it, but she thought he got mildly warmer and he had stiffened, but she paid no attention to it. He lowered his arms and head and rested his eyes at the crook of her neck and shoulder. His arms gripped her tightly.

"I will," he mumbled. The vibrations from his voice made her shiver. "I just don't think I can. No matter how much Hera tries."

"Its fine, Zuko," Katara murmured as she rubbed his back.

"She thinks it will make you guys like me more," he chuckled bitterly. Katara pulled away slightly and stared into his eyes. When he stared back, he looked as if he was a lost and hurt child, not an almost grown man.

"What do you mean?" she asked softly.

He dropped his head and rested his forehead on her shoulders. His posture slumped and he took in a shuddering breath, "I don't think it will make you like me more. Understand me more, yes. But like me? No. It will just make you loathe my father."

"Even more than we already do?"

"So much more," his voice was barely a whisper.

"How is that possible?" she said, trying to lighten the mood. For a minute or two, he stayed still and silent. Then, he lifted his head and Katara couldn't brace herself for what she saw. His eyes had looked even more pained than before, now red and full of unshed tears. It seemed that if he even dared to blink and break their eye contact, the tears would spill out uncontrollably.

He was silent, as if he was trying to gauge her reaction. He closed his eyes as the first tears dripped down his face. "Because he did this to me."

Katara covered her mouth and gasped, "He…"

He kept his eyes closed but nodded. For a moment they stayed silent. When he opened his eyes, she was met with his fierce gaze, one full of anguish and sadness.

"Oh, Zuko," she whispered and pulled him back into their hug, her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her waist. His face was buried into her neck again, the rough skin of his scar nuzzling against the sensitive skin under her ear. He was trembling slightly and taking in shuddering breaths, but Katara didn't feel tears on her bare shoulders. "I'm so sorry."

His muffled whisper was almost inaudible, "It's not your fault, 'Tara."

"I know," she replied gently. "But no one should ever have to endure that. However, I think it made you a stronger and better person. The one I know and care about deeply."

His trembling slowly stopped and he sighed. His breath tickled her skin as he spoke, "No you don't."

"I wouldn't be standing knee-deep in water, hugging you and wanting to console you in any way possible if I didn't, Zuko."

"Even Hera wouldn't do this for me," he chuckled quietly. Katara stilled at that comment. She had always thought Zuko and Hera were much closer than she and he were. Maybe her mind was trying to place something there that wasn't. She assumed that when the beautiful and mysterious firebender waltzed into the summer home, Zuko had become smitten with her. Or perhaps it was just him being friendly.

"Wait… Aren't you and Hera…?"

"Like brother and sister. Like you and Sokka. She's what I wish Azula was like. I told you that."

Katara pulled her head away from Zuko, but kept her arms around him. He looked at her and his gaze had softened. She smiled at the warmness that radiated from his eyes as he looked at her. Her hand unconsciously moved from behind his neck and stroked his scarred cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.

"Katara…"

"Hmm?"

Her eyes had closed as well. When she reopened them, his face was inches from hers. He rose his hand and mirrored what she was doing, resting his fingers on her cheekbone. His eyes were still closed and he sighed, breathing a smoky yet sweet air onto her lips.

"That's why I was so hesitant about the Agni Kai yesterday," he whispered.

"You fought him in a duel," she stated. "How old were you?"

"Thirteen."

Katara's heart dropped. Such a young boy, burned by his own father. It was cruel, and surprisingly enough it seemed to fit Ozai's personality perfectly.

"That's why I was hunting Aang. He banished me for speaking out of turn and told me the only way I could come home was if I brought him the Avatar. It was a folly quest, knowing that he had disappeared for a hundred years."

"But all you wanted was to go home…" she finished for him. He finally opened his eyes and stared at her intently with a smoldering gaze, as if his eyes themselves were on fire. Their noses were almost touching and Katara could feel her heart rate picking up.

He nodded once, "Thank you for understanding."

"Anything for you," she whispered, dropping her hand from his cheek to his shoulder. His expression fell as her touch vanished from his face. He slowly removed his hand as well and frowned deeply.

"Goodnight Katara," he whispered. He turned and walked back to the house, leaving Katara alone in the water. She lifted her hand to caress where his hand had once been on her face. She felt oddly cold, as if the sun had been snuffed out in the middle of a hot summer day. When Zuko had looked at her, there was an intense passion behind his eyes, something she almost didn't recognize. She felt his body warm as she held him, and she could have sworn she saw a blush creep across his cheeks as he turned away and walked back to the house. She turned and saw him standing at the edge of the courtyard, staring down at her. He turned and headed back inside, out of her sight. She sighed and took a steadying breath. She felt her body warm as she held him too, she felt the identical blush warm her cheeks and he stared at her. And as of right now, all she felt was confusion.

Katara decided to go back inside and go to bed. The moon was rising and she needed as much rest as she could get, for tomorrow they were doing one last planning session and heading out to defeat the Fire Lord. Once she got inside, Suki and Sokka were making out on the couch and she could hear Toph and Aang arguing on the front porch.

"Well if you figure out a way for me to defeat the Fire Lord without taking his life I would be glad to hear it!" Aang shouted.

"How long have they been fighting?" Katara asked the now separated couple.

"A couple minutes," Sokka said plainly. "We had continued talking about the plans after you went to talk to Angry Jerk-"

"I thought we dropped the 'Angry Jerk' bit," Suki interrupted.

"Sorry," Sokka mumbled. "Anyway, Toph said he needed to kill the Fire Lord and there wasn't any other way. So he stormed to the front porch and they've been arguing ever since."

"Wow," Katara muttered under her breath. She sighed and looked up the stairs. "I'm guessing Zuko went to bed?"

"Yeah, he seemed a little off when he walked in," Suki answered. "Did he tell you what was wrong?"

Katara nodded, "And he told me about his scar."

"REALLY?!" Sokka exclaimed. "How did he get it?!"

Katara frowned and headed to the stairs. She turned and looked at the couple with soft eyes, "It's not my place to tell."

As she climbed the stairs, the drifting sounds of Sokka speculating the origins of Zuko's scar made her scowl. Luckily, she reached her room in time to drown out the ridiculous scenarios he concocted, ranging from an explosion on a boat to getting attacked by a dragon.

When Katara reached her room, the whistling sound from outside her window chilled her to her bones. As she slunk into her bed, the images of Zuko's eyes flashed behind her eye lids. Golden pools of liquid emotion, swirling with unspoken words. His admission to her caused her off unease, and his eyes after he told her confused her even more.

She sat for hours with unrest until she finally decided to sit under Yue so sleep would finally find her.

Katara silently walked down the hall and as she passed Zuko's door, she sighed and continued down the stairs and to the courtyard.

….

Abruptly, Zuko woke in a cold sweat and an uneasy feeling clenched in his stomach. Something was wrong but he couldn't figure it out. He sat up and looked out the window, spotting the moon in its decent in the sky. He got out of under the covers and rubbed his eyes restlessly. In under twenty hour hours, they would all be leaving to face their destinies as Sozin's Comet streaked across the sky in tremendous beauty.

When Zuko reached his window, he spotted a familiar silhouette in the courtyard. Katara's wild hair was glowing silver in the moonlight. He smirked and left his room, silently gliding down the stairs heading for her location. As he approached her flank, she seemed to not be surprised by his presence.

"Can't sleep?"

She turned as he sat to her right, and he noticed a tiny blush creep up her cheeks.

"No," she whispered as she looked back up at the sky, "I'm nervous about tomorrow."

"That's not all, is it?"

"You know me well," she sighed.

"I guess you heard Aang and Toph arguing?" he inquired.

"Yeah. He doesn't understand that he needs to do it. I'm worried that he won't."

"He'll figure out what to do in the end," Zuko sighed. "He's going to have to sacrifice his beliefs for the good of the world. He's the Avatar. He can't be selfish."

"I know," she mumbled.

Zuko looked at her and frowned, "Something else is up."

Katara suddenly looked nervous. He scooted closer and nudged her with his shoulder. She chuckled nervously and lowered her gaze from the sky to her lap, "When we were in the ocean earlier, you said you and Hera were like me and Sokka. For some reason, it seemed different from my point of view."

Zuko smirked, "Alright, it may be more like you and Aang."

"What are you trying to say?" her gaze met his and her eyes narrowed.

He laughed again, louder this time, "He follows you around like a puppy and you are totally oblivious. Hera owes me a solid, so she feels in debt to me. And we grew up together. No romantics there."

"You sure about that?"

"I am on my end."

Katara smiled guiltily and nudged him back, "Anyone you _do_ have romantic feelings for?"

Zuko felt his cheeks get hot and he cleared his throat. _Yes, she's sitting right next to me._ "No."

"Oh come on, you can tell me!" she narrowed her eyes playfully.

"Right now isn't the right time," he lied tactfully. "And my friend likes her, I don't want to disrespect him and dishonor myself. Or her for that matter."

Katara snickered, "Dishonor? Wow, Zuko."

"What?"

"Nothing," she continued giggling. "Besides you're the Fire Prince! I think your little crush would much rather be with you. There isn't any competition there!"

"Banished Prince," he corrected sourly. "I'm not so sure anyway. There's no time for love in a world at war."

He smiled bitterly at her and she rose an eyebrow at him. He was hoping she wouldn't catch on to him or anything like that. His crush on her needed to stay a secret. It would be a disaster if she found out anyway.

"Do I know her?" Katara asked suddenly.

Zuko smirked, "Yeah."

"Is she pretty?"

"She's gorgeous."

"How sweet," Katara smiled.

Zuko frowned at her, shook his head and turned away, "It won't ever work out. And besides, right now isn't the right time."

"Do you think she's the right girl?" Katara whispered. Zuko returned his gaze to her, their faces were once again very close to each other. He nodded slowly as he stared into her glistening blue eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. He felt himself slowly moving closer to her, closing the space in between their lips. Her eyes fluttered close as he exhaled against her lips. Her breath tickled his own and he felt the last centimeters between them close when-

"KATARA! ZUKO!" Toph's voice rang through the courtyard. The petite earthbender came running out in her nightgown as Zuko and Katara jumped away from each other, blushing furiously as they did so. She reached them and was panting, a worried look was plastered on her face.

"Toph, what's wrong?" Katara asked.

"Hera is gone."

….

The bed was made, not a thing out of place. It was almost as if she hadn't even been there. The only thing different was the dresser, where two scrolls were laid neatly against each other. One was tied with a red ribbon with blue tips. The other was simply just rolled, almost hastily. Zuko strode to the dresser and read both. He frowned at the first scroll, handing it to Katara when he finished, who read it to Toph. When Zuko read the second, dread filled his heart and his blood felt as if it had been bent into ice.

"_Zuko-_

_I know you will be reading this. So I will be as brief as I can. Assuming you read Azula's letter, I shall be on my way to the Capital once you are in my room. I can't let her do anything to all of you. She's your fight. You and Katara must come to the Palace. And it has to be her. Toph, Sokka and Suki can take out the airships flying to the Earth Kingdom while Aang fights Ozai. Hopefully, I'll still be around and can help. But if I'm not, I wish you the best of luck. You're my best friend, my brother. No matter what happens, never forget who you are. Never give up without a fight._

_Hera."_

A single tear rolled down his unmarred cheek. The weight of her letter constricted his chest. She knew that Azula would torture her, or worse, kill her.

Katara took the parchment out of Zuko's trembling hand and placed it back on the dresser. She pulled him into a loose hug.

"We have to go get her," he whispered.

"We will," Katara murmured back. "We will defeat Azula and get Hera back."

Zuko raised his head and looked Katara in the eyes, oceans of deep cerulean mixed with cobalt. Her emotions were swimming almost as much as he felt his were, and she looked as if she was reflecting the anguish he felt in his heart.

"What if she's gone when we get there?" he whispered.

"She won't be," Katara responded firmly, cupping his right cheek and wiping the stray tear away. He leaned into her touch unconsciously and stared her right in the eyes, as if the answer to all of this was swirling around in her irises. He took in a shuddering breath.

"I hope so," he sighed, his exhale shuddering as well. "I don't know if I could live with myself if she died because of me."

….

"Well, well, well. I thought you weren't going to show up," a shrill and cold voice rang through the throne room.

"I did. So do what you please with me," Hera bowed mockingly, without breaking eye contact with the woman behind the blue flames.

"I thought you would never ask."

At that second, rock enclosed around Hera's wrists. She was forced to the ground on her knees as Azula walked down from behind the fire on the dais. She strode to where Hera was kneeling and another set of hands forced Hera's head to look upward to gaze at the towering teen above her.

"You said too much," Azula cooed, extending her right index finger and raising a single blue flame to the tip. "Now you need to be silenced."

Azula lowered her hand to Hera's face and a blood curdling scream echoed throughout the halls of the abandoned palace.

….

_A/N the end of that chapter gave me chills as I wrote it._

_Next chapter is going to start off where "Sozin's Comet: Into the Inferno" begins. Aang still disappeared, and they still went to the White Lotus camp. Yay. Iroh and Zuko make up, they all realize their destinies. Onto the next one!_

_I like when people review my stuff. It makes me happy. SO if you would, that would be fantastic. _


	5. Burnt

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA. If I did, I would be the voice of Zuko's daughter in LoK and Zuko and Katara would be getting married like Kanna and Pakku did. Hey, it could happen.

_A/N __**WARNING! **__This chapter is graphic. I'm warning you now. But it is essential to the story. If you do not wish to read what happens in the battle between Zuko/Azula/Katara/Hera, I will have a lame ass summary at the end of this chapter. Trust me, it's lame to the max._

_I love you guys for reading this. It's helping me deal with the boredom that accompanies deployment. _

_ENJOY!_

**Chapter Five: Burnt**

"Zuko, there it is!"

Zuko followed Katara's hand and saw the caldera that hosted the Capital. Appa descended towards the coronation plaza which, like the entire city, was empty.

"Don't you think there would be a crowd for Azula's crowning?" Katara yelled over the roar of the wind.

"Yeah," Zuko scowled. "This is really weird."

The duo waited as Appa sped to the ground and they spotted their target kneeling in front of the Fire Sages.

"By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lord-"

"What are you waiting for?! Do it!"

Appa landed in the middle of the deserted plaza, startling the sages and causing Azula to grin maniacally.

"Sorry. But you're not going to become Fire Lord today," Zuko jumped from the saddle to the stone below them. "I am."

Azula cackled, "You're hilarious."

Katara followed Zuko and jumped down to the ground. "And you're going down."

Azula stood and grinned at the duo in front of her, "Well Zuzu, I don't think your girlfriend is going to be too pleased when she sees that you've traded down for this Water Tribe whore."

"What are you talking about, Azula?" Zuko growled, narrowing his eyes at his sibling above him.

"I mean, Hera did leave YOU, but certainly you could have done better in your rebound. Even that little blind brat would have been an upgrade from _this_," Azula gestured to Katara as she descended down the stairs towards her brother.

Realization dawned on Zuko and he paled. "Where is she?"

Azula snapped her fingers and two guards appeared from behind the sages, hauling a limp body in between them. Katara could already see bruises and new burns blossoming on her arms. Her head hung as her feet dragged behind her on the cobblestone. The guards paid no attention as they pulled her down the stairs. At a closer look, Katara could see that her wrists were bound and a cloth was tied around her head, covering her mouth. It was drenched in blood. Katara and Zuko collectively gasped when one of the guards grasped the girl's hair and wrenched her head up.

It was Hera. Her eyes were both bruised and slash marks covered her cheeks. Then, the guard removed the cloth from her mouth and the sight stunned them both.

Her mouth had been cauterized shut.

….

"Azula… You MONSTER!"

Katara's shout seemed muffled in Zuko's ears. He couldn't hear anything over the swishing of his pulse throughout his body. But he still felt numb.

"She said too much," Azula said casually as she examined her nails. "It was the only way."

"She didn't tell us anything, Azula," Zuko growled lowly.

"Well, that's a shame. Would you like to know what I was afraid of her spilling to you, my dear brother? It's too late now, seeming I'll be crowned Fire Lord and you'll be dead."

Zuko glared at Azula under thick lashes, his anger radiated off of him in hot waves, making his blood boil beneath his skin. He could tell Katara was feeling a similar reaction. In the corner of his eye, he saw her fists clenched and her jaw tight, as if at any moment she would release a tidal wave at his sister.

"Make it quick," he snapped. He saw Katara flinch when the body on the ground next to Azula stirred. _She's alive. Thank Agni. _Before Katara could move, Zuko snatched her wrist and turned his head to her, prohibiting her from leaving his side.

Azula smirked at the exchange and took slow and deliberate steps towards Hera, "When father was crowned Fire Lord, you became the Crown Prince. Meaning one day, my sissy brother would become Fire Lord, most likely ending the Great War that had made our nation the dominating force in the world. I knew that I deserved the honor. The Crown position, not you. I, the cunning prodigy, would be nothing than a seat in the court. I was more befitting. No Zuko, the weak one. So I prayed every night that something would happen to you. A sickness, an assassination. Something that would guarantee me becoming the rightful heir.

"One night, a voice spoke to me. He told me to strike at your heart. Take away the one thing that made you complete. And you would fall into your own depression and demise. Mother was already gone, so there really was only one person whose loss would make you lose your mind, make you lose any control you may have had and destroy you from the inside."

She motioned to Hera, whose eyes lazily opened. She focused on Zuko, who was rooted to the ground, his eyes wide and staring at Azula. The princess waltzed past her prisoner and circled around Katara and Zuko, who both turned to face her. Katara backed up as the siblings started to circle each other like predators, not taking their eyes off the one opposite of themselves. When she reached the older girl about fifty feet behind the circling siblings, Hera was whimpering quietly.

"My opportunity came when she visited one night and you little love birds were chatting at your stupid little pond," Azula spat.

"You threw the rock," Zuko whispered, his hands starting to tremble.

"Yes!" Azula shouted as she stopped pacing. Zuko's back was the Hera and Katara. "SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO DROWN!"

Katara was stroking Hera's hair as the older girl trembled and moaned in pain, her voice muffled by the sealed skin across her lips.

"You saved her," Azula growled, "and the voice told me I was a failure. Like you. And he said that because of my failure to bid to his wishes, he was going to grant her with the abilities to defeat me. Which of course is something you know now, too. According to father."

She smirked and did similar motions to lightning redirection, "Whatever that is." She laughed and stared at Zuko, who kept his lips tight. "The voice's name is Moradoz, by the way."

"Purple?" Zuko whispered. He turned and looked over his shoulder at the two girls on the ground to his left. Hera was still lying across Katara's lap and trembling slightly.

"Yes. He was the one who gave her eyesight. And her purple flames. He didn't necessarily take her over, just gave her a little gift. I mean, it's not HARD to make purple flames… He just made it easier for her... Anyway I'm rambling, dear brother. He told me that she was the tool for my destruction. That's why after you got banished, I tried to keep her close. But her rebellious spirit along with his invisible influence hindered that. Perhaps he wanted her to stray from me just so this moment would come…"

As Azula rambled, Zuko lowered himself into a fighting stance, not wanting to drop his guard for one moment. They were in the middle of a standoff, Azula was stalling and he didn't have time to wait any longer. But he didn't want to strike first, knowing his sister she would see it coming. He had to keep her mouth running until he had a solid plan.

"He's been speaking to me more often lately. Influencing me, helping me on my quest to becoming Fire Lord. He was the one who told me to lock up Mai and Ty Lee. He told me about your little group at the Air Temple. He has given me strength."

"Azula, you need to stop this-"

"AND YOU'RE GOING TO STOP ME?!" she cackled and started to charge her lighting. "YOU'RE TOO WEAK!"

Katara had started pulling Hera to her feet when Azula started to swing her arms around, "We need to get you to safety."

Hera shook her head and stood proudly, although weakly. Her burns and bruises looked haunting in the comet's light.

"You can protect yourself, Zuzu," Azula shouted over the static, "BUT WHAT ABOUT THEM?!"

She lunged towards the girls and the lightning danced across the courtyard.

"NOOOOOO!" Zuko bellowed as he leapt in front of the charge in attempt to redirect it. It was almost in vain as the lightning hit his body while he was in mid-air. Half of the electricity flew into the sky as the other half enveloped his body, raking him with multiple shocks.

"ZUKO!" Katara cried. Hera ran towards Azula as the crazed princess charged for another blow. Katara sprinted to Zuko's side when a blast of blue and purple fire stopped her in her tracks and knocked her to her feet. After a blow to her head on the stone beneath her, black spots flashed across her eyesight. She heard the cackling laughter of the manic princess and muffled grunts from her opponent. When she sat up and focused her eyes, she couldn't believe what she saw. Hera was grabbing Azula's right arm, Azula had her left hand around Hera's neck and both girls were spasming with electricity. Both of their screams pierced the air. Azula's skin was starting to char and peel off of her limbs, Hera's mouth had ripped open by the force of her shriek.

Katara was stuck to the ground and her eyes widened when both of the girls collapsed. Azula was a burnt corpse and Hera's skin was practically falling off of her bones. Katara shook herself back to the task at hand. She bolted up, grabbed Zuko and dragged his body to the two girls. He groaned in pain as she laid him down gently.

"Hold on, Zuko. I'm going to help Hera," she whispered in his ear. She got up and crouched next to Hera, pulling out her healing water.

"No…" the older girl gasped, her body still slightly in spasm.

"Hera, I'm going to help you."

"Help… him."

Hera's eyes fluttered open, revealing to Katara not the brilliant violet irises that they once were, but now a striking gold.

"I'm going to help you, too," Katara gloved her hands.

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"He… is Fire… Lord. Save him."

"Hera, I won't let you die!"

"He… needs you," Hera smiled faintly. Her skin was burnt to the point that flashes of white were visible beneath the blood that flowed onto the stone beneath them. The smell of scorched flesh floated in the air around them, along with the smell of fried hair. Hera's eyes were starting to flicker closed. "There's… no… hope for me. Save… him. He… needs you."

"Hera, hold on!"

Katara could tell that Zuko was fading as well and she needed to make a decision. Hera was still smiling and breathing slightly, but Zuko's breaths were slowly getting shallower.

"He's… lucky to… have you."

'What?" Katara turned and faced the body next to her.

"Save… him… Protect… him… Love…"

Hera's eyes dulled and Katara shed more tears. She turned her full attention to Zuko. His burn was a bleeding star-shaped hole smack dab in the middle of his torso. When she guided the last of her bending water over the fatal injury. Katara's eyes were blurry with salt water, her hands shaking with fear. The water wasn't glowing as brightly as it normally would, and Katara began to panic.

"Come on, Zuko," she cried. "Don't leave me! I need you. Please!"

She began sobbing and pouring all of her power into healing him. The water glowed brighter and then dripped onto his skin when she finished. He didn't even stir. Katara's body was shaking with sobs as she leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying his face against her chest. She squeezed him as she cried into his hair.

"Please, Zuko. I can't lose you. You can't be gone, too."

Zuko grimaced and his hot breath warmed Katara's chest, "Ka…tara…"

She gasped and squeezed him tighter, pulling him more upright.

"I can't breathe," his moan was muffled by her skin.

"Oh!" She pulled him away and he groaned at the sudden movement. "I'm sorry! Thank La you're okay!"

She pulled him back into a hug and held onto him like her life depended on it. He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and held her gently. She had been leaning over his body and all he could see was the sky above him.

"Katara…"

"Please, don't leave me," she whispered back, her voice shaking with tears.

"I wasn't planning on it," he murmured. Zuko lowered his arms and laid back down on Katara's lap. He looked into her eyes, which had been a beautiful contrast to the red sky above him. His body was screaming at him, and he was struggling to even breathe.

"We need to get you somewhere safer than here," she sighed as she pushed the hair out of his face. He felt like he was about to fall asleep.

"Mhm…"

"Zuko, don't fall asleep. We need to go."

He opened his eyes and glared at her, "Then help me up."

She nodded and stood, hauling him up with her. He stilled, however when he saw the two bodies that had been laying behind her. His eyes widened and he was stricken with a look of agony. He realized then that they were both dead, two pairs of golden eyes dulled with death staring blankly into oblivion. Both of their bodies were burnt beyond recognition. He turned away and felt hot tears pour down his face. Katara led him into the palace, which was hauntingly empty. Once they reached his old quarters, she laid him gently on the bed. She went into the bathroom and brought out a basin full of water.

"Her… eyes…"

"They were gold," Katara replied softly.

"I guess that Moradoz guy finally left her," he sighed quietly. His chest wound throbbed as she ran the healing water over it.

"I think he was the reason Azula was acting so crazy," Katara added.

"I think so, too."

A slight knock came from the door and Zuko groaned, "Enter."

One of the Fire Sages entered and bowed at Zuko, "Fire Lord Zuko. What shall we do with the bodies?"

Zuko sighed and grimaced as he stood up, despite Katara's objection next to him, "Bring them both to the morgue to be cleaned up. Make them presentable for the pyres."

The sage nodded at him and left the room. Zuko sighed and suddenly felt light-headed. He wobbled on his feet and stared at Katara before collapsing on the ground.

"Zuko!"

She rolled him over and brought more water to his burn. After a couple of minutes of healing, he stopped twitching and opened his eyes again. He stared at Katara, whose cheeks were streaked with cascading tears. He raised his right hand and brushed the salt water away.

"Stop doing that," she mutter.

"Doing what?"

"Making me think I lost you."

He frowned at her and shook his head. She pulled out another stream of water and guided it back to his burn. The hole was starting to close, but the tissue was mangled and warped to the point that Katara could only try to seal it closed.

"I'm so sorry, Zuko," she whispered.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I couldn't save Hera," she whispered. He pushed himself up, despite the protest in his torso. Sobs were slowly raking Katara's body and he pulled her into his lap. She buried her face in the crook of his neck. He felt empty and cold. Half of the most important women in his life had just died. Even though Azula was crazy and wanted him dead, she was still family. And Hera had been the surrogate sister in Azula's stead. Now they both were decomposing in his palace courtyard. His mother was banished, most likely dead now. And the other woman he cared for so deeply was sobbing into his neck. For some reason, even the reassurance of her being next to him didn't fill the void that had opened with the lightning. Zuko felt completely alone. Katara's silent cries broke him out of revere. He can't lose her, too. He would do anything to make sure she never left him.

"It's not your fault," he murmured into her hair, inhaling the scent of water lilies and sweat.

"She told me to take care of you," she whispered into his collarbone.

He chuckled, "You picked her first? I'm hurt."

She shook her head, "She was worse than you."

Zuko sighed and rested his head against hers, tightening his grip around her small frame. She took a deep breath and nuzzled closer to him.

"She told me to take care of you," she whispered. "I promised that I would."

Zuko remained silent but pulled Katara even closer, "I'll protect you, too."

"I'll save you from the pirates," she giggled quietly.

"Not that again," he moaned. She chuckled harder at him, snuggling closer to his core but avoiding the fresh burn in the center of his chest.

"I'll do whatever I can to prevent this from being a scar," she murmured as she ran her fingers along the edges.

"I think I'll be fine."

"Why?"

"It's a reminder of me saving you," he whispered against her ear, the breath tickling her and sending chills down her spine.

"Zuko…"

"I want this part of me around because it was for you."

She looked up into his golden eyes. They were full of passion and devotion, something she had only seen once. When they had been in the ocean. She reached up and ran her fingers along the edge of his left cheek, imagining that texture on the star on his chest. For some reason it warmed her. And then a sudden realization dawned on her, "When you said that you couldn't get the girl you wanted…"

He leaned a little closer to her, his nose barely grazing hers, "It's because the Avatar is in love with her, too."

Katara's breath hitched in her throat. His eyes started to look pained as silence dragged on. She kept her mouth shut, not knowing what to say as she stared into the liquid gold. Her heart was fluttering in her chest, and she felt a blush warming her cheeks. After a couple of minutes of stillness, Zuko pulled her off of his lap and stood up weakly. A look of pain and rejection crossed his face when she looked up at him.

"Zuko… I-"

"There's nothing you can say," he sighed. "It's not right. Forget I said anything."

He stepped over her and walked to his bed. He took off his burnt shirt and vest and laid painfully on the mattress. With his back to her, he fell asleep almost instantly. Katara watched him as random spasms shook his body in his sleep. He kept his back to her, not turning once. She didn't move either. She remained in the same spot on the floor and watched the Fire Lord sleep.

_A/N I'm ending this chapter here. _

_LAME ASS SUMMARY:_

_Azula melted Hera's mouth closed. Demon/spirit thing gave Hera eyesight and purple fire. Hera and Azula both die from lighting. Zuko is sad._

_Don't like the summary? Well you should have read the chapter._

_Sorry I'm not sorry._

_In case you haven't noticed, the Avatar (hehe) for this story is a drawing. That drawing is Hera, my own original work. I stated in an earlier chapter, I said I didn't have good enough artistical stills to draw her. Well it turns out if you drink a pitcher of margaritas, your artistic abilities grow exponentially. Next time I partake in late night inebriation, I will draw older Zuko. Super sexy older Zuko. Hashtag, yum._

_Thanks again for reading!_

_3_


	6. Author's Note

_**Big Bad Badger MOLES!**_

**Just letting you guys know that I have finals this week, so I will try to post chapters as much as I can. **

**I also would like to say that I was watching "Sozin's Comet" and counted how many Zutara moments there were. I counted like six. ("So I see you worked things out with your girlfriend." Even June ships Zutara) WHY DIDN'T THEY HAPPEN?! Or at least have some sort of love triangle mess?!**

**I'll tell you why: Twelve-year-old children want the hero to always get what he wants. Including the woman he loves that treats him like a child and mothers him. Excuse me, Oedipus complex much?**

**I think the reason they had Korra and Mako get together in LoK was because they're like Katara and Zuko and so many people wanted Zutara. So it sort of fulfilled their wishes. But nothing is the same as Zutara. **

**ANYWAY!**

**I'll try to post as much as I can. I'm not going to bribe chapters for reviews. I post when I can actually type them out, which may not be until after Friday.**

**Thanks guys!**


	7. Reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or the characters associated with it. I do, however, own the artwork and original characters associated with this story.

_**WARNING:**__ This chapter is kind of gross._

**Chapter 6:** **Reunion**

One year passed since the ending of the Hundred Year War. The Avatar and Fire Lord have helped restore balance along with the help of the other members of Team Avatar. As the summer was drawing to an end, a celebration was scheduled to honor the young war heroes and their major hand in the end of the destruction that coursed the world.

At the suggestion of his most trusted advisor, Fire Lord Zuko decided to invite his friends to join him at his Ember Island beach house for a pre-celebration vacation. He knew his uncle would insist on having a party for a party, and with the overwhelming amount of work he had piling on his desk, he didn't have the energy to argue.

As he wrote the last letter, his heart began to clench at the thought of the recipient. After several attempts and balled up papers tossed into the waste basket, this scroll seemed to relay a good enough message to her:

"_Katara-_

_I assume you are well aware that the anniversary of the end of the Hundred Year War is fast approaching. As a pre-festivity treat, I am inviting everyone from our team to my beach house for an extra week of vacation._

_I would greatly enjoy your company and I look forward to seeing you._

_Zuko."_

….

The lack of formalities in the letter caused Katara to shiver. Although it was summer and the warm Fire Nation breeze tossed her hair around as they flew through the sky, Katara felt cold.

"Is that your invite from Zuko?" Aang's voice called from Appa's head. Katara only nodded, not caring if Aang saw her reply or not.

She could only think about her last encounter with Zuko, whose haunting stare still bore into her soul even a year later.

…

_One year ago_

The coronation ceremony went splendidly. Zuko and the gang were all conversing with random war heroes. Katara was talking to her father Hakoda, Toph was gambling with the Boulder, and Sokka and Suki were chatting with the Kyoshi Warriors.

Zuko and Aang were standing near the throne and conversing lowly about Ozai when they were approached by a man in heavy black robes.

"Excuse me, Fire Lord Zuko?" the man said in a deep, yet whiney voice as he bowed, "Avatar." He added with a nod.

"Xin Shao," Zuko nodded. "What is the matter? It's my coronation day, can't this wait?"

The man's brow furrowed in anguish, "I'm afraid not, sir."

Zuko raised his good eyebrow, "What is it?"

"It's Lady Hera, my Lord," Xin Shao whispered, bringing himself closer to the scarred ruler. "I need you to come with me immediately."

Zuko cast a worried glance to Aang, who had paled at the mention of Hera's name. He returned the look to his friend and nodded. Zuko followed the man through the crowd but was stopped by the small and gentle hands of Katara. His heart leapt into his throat.

"What is it, Zuko?" she whispered as she slackened the grip on his wrist.

He shook his head and said gruffly, "It's about Hera. I'm going to check it out."

She froze in place, her eyes locked on his, "I'm coming with you."

"No," he whispered, pulling his hand gently away from hers. "This is my business."

They exchanged meaningful glances until Aang approached and wrapped his arm around Katara's shoulder. She broke the stare and turned her head away. Zuko's stare remained on her, however, and turned icy. He turned around and followed Xin Shao out of the banquet hall towards the morgue.

….

Hera's skin was ghostly pale, at least the parts that weren't covered in unhealed burns.

"It's customary to perform an autopsy after death," Xin Shao stated after a few minutes of watching Zuko stare at the body on the table. "Even if we already know the cause of death."

"Why are you telling me this?" he growled, not taking his eyes off of Hera's corpse. She had been cleaned but her burns and ripped lips showed the agony she endured in her last hours. The coroner had the common courtesy to cover her intimate areas, despite the fact that any indication of her being a woman had been melted in the lightning attack.

"Well," Xin Shao started, turning to the smaller table next to the body. He picked up a piece of rolled parchment that had blood lining the edges. "This was found… Inside of her."

Zuko tore his gaze from Hera's neck, which had been surprisingly blemish-free, and stared at the parchment in front of him. It appeared to be wet, but he recognized this material to be the kind that sea captains use for their maps: it can get wet and won't deteriorate.

"Where did you find it?" Zuko's voice was barely about a whisper. He took the note and unrolled it. Xin Shao remained silent as the Fire Lord read the contents on the paper. His eyes widened as he slowly read the characters inked on the page.

"_Zuzu-_

_Your little whore girlfriend won't tell you about this, but you'll find out once I kill her. I know she will betray me, it's only a matter of time. You won't get the pleasure of fucking her when she does._

_Much love_

_Azula."_

His hands trembled and he rose his gaze to Xin Shao.

"Where did you find this?" he repeated, firmer now.

"It was lodged in Lady Hera's… vagina, sir," Xin Shao sighed as he lowered his gaze to the floor, "which had been melted shut."

Zuko flinched and froze at the same time, his blood felt as if it had stopped pumping through his veins. He felt his face get cold and at the same time, a fierce sweat broke across the back of his neck, where the hair that didn't reach his top knot stood on end.

"Her entire reproductive system was also damaged," the coroner said in response to Zuko's silence. "The injuries were older, most likely done about a month before her death."

"What kind of injuries were they?" Zuko croaked quietly.

"Ones made by electricity, my Lord."

Zuko stayed still for a moment and he felt his face turn into a hard scowl, "I think, Xin Shao, this information should have been withheld from me until after tonight."

Before Xin Shao could apologize, Zuko was already out the doors. The new Fire Lord stormed down the hallway, making a fast haste to his quarters. He felt like he was burning up but also freezing at the same time. All he wanted to do was burn off his stupid heavy robes and rip out his top knot and crown.

His journey was cut short when he ran chest first into a certain waterbender in the hallway leading to his room.

"OOMPH!" they both exclaimed as they fell to the floor.

"Zuko-"

"I need to go."

He scrambled up and continued to his room, but not before Katara saw the tears falling down his face and the agony plastered there as well. She watched him race around the corner and heard him yell something intelligible at his guards and finally the door slam.

She was still sitting on the floor when Aang came out of the banquet room, "Hey Katara! Where's Zu- Why are you on the floor?"

He offered her a hand and helped her stand, but she kept her eyes in the direction that Zuko had ran just moments before.

"He went to his room," she replied in a mumble as she brushed herself off. She turned and faced Aang and sighed, "He seemed upset."

"You think it was about what that guy wanted to show him about Hera?" Aang whispered.

Katara looked over her shoulder in the direction of Zuko's room again, "Maybe I should go talk to him."

Aang sighed, "I don't know…"

"He needs a friend right now, Aang."

They exchanged thoughtful glances and after a moment, Aang shrugged and then slumped his shoulders, "Fine. Go to him." He hugged her and kissed her cheek, then he turned and headed back to the party. But he called over his shoulder before entering the banquet hall, "Tell him he's missing his own party!"

The Avatar vanished behind the curtain and Katara jogged down the hallway, turning the corner and heading to the end of the corridor where two guards stood attention at the ornate doors. She stopped in front of them and shifted her weight onto her right leg, crossing her arms in the process.

"Let me talk to him."

"We cannot allow you to pass," one guard replied, keeping his eyes forward.

"But he's-"

"No one is permitted inside the Fire Lord's chambers without the Fire Lord's permission, milady."

"Let her in," a muffled voice from behind the wall said. The guards both grimaced as Katara smirked triumphantly. She pushed past the two men and opened one of the double doors. The room was dark, save the back left corner where the door to the balcony was open. The moonlight poured into the room, illuminating a silhouette that was sitting on the floor, hugging his knees as he stared at the empty fireplace.

"Zuko…"

"When Hera was younger, she was very much like Ty Lee when it came to guys."

Katara walked to Zuko and sat silently on his left side, his profile black with the moon shining behind him.

"She was beautiful, intelligent, loving. Much like you," he added, turning his head slightly towards Katara. "Azula was jealous. Boys were too afraid of her. So she would call Hera a whore, thinking that Hera was going to sleep around when she got older. She would tell me that if I kept hanging out with her, I would get a disease and my dick would fall off."

He chuckled but sobered quickly, "She said Hera needed to close herself up so no one would have to end up with the whore."

Katara reached over and grasped the hand that gripped his knee. He turned it over and returned the squeeze, but kept his eyes on the dark fireplace.

"Azula granted her own wish."

Silently, Katara felt she understood what he said. Knowing Azula, something that sinister and evil didn't come to a surprise. And suddenly, his own words rang through her head.

_I have a feeling that the scars on her back aren't the only ones…_

Tears were falling freely from Zuko's eyes now. She could see them glisten in Yue's gentle light. They fell fast down his cheeks onto his bare chest. Katara just now noticed he was only in his trousers, his top knot undone and his hair a tangled and matted mess against his head, most likely from being ripped free hastily. He squeezed her hand again and turned to face her fully. Although the light was behind him and his face dark, his golden eyes glowed with a raw intensity, full of hurt and anguish.

"At least now she's not in any more pain," Katara whispered. Zuko lowered his head and kept his gaze on their intertwined fingers between them.

"She electrocuted her, 'Tara," his voice was a hoarse whisper.

"I know, Zuko."

"No," he snapped his head up and stared right into her eyes, piercing through her soul. The golden spheres cut right to her core and froze her entire being. The intense pain and anger he was feeling radiated through the swirling colors. "No, Azula RAPED her. And ELECTROCUTED HER as she did it."

Katara's eyes widened and she inhaled a shaking breath, "Zuko-"

"AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" he cried, tears spilling out more frequently and falling onto their clasped hands. She pulled him towards her body into a hug and wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling him into her chest.

"No it's not, Zuko," she whispered, rubbing his back and stroking the hair at the nape of his neck.

"How do you know?" he muffled against her bare skin.

"Because Azula is, or was, a crazy bitch and is sadistic and cruel. She would have done it either way."

Zuko took a deep breath to calm himself and sat up, "Thanks, Katara. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Zuko," she said, wiping his cheeks. She left her hand on his left cheekbone, stroking the scar gently. "Hera was like your sister. I understand that in some way, losing her is more painful than losing Azula."

"Though it's painful to lose her, too."

Katara cupped his face and he leaned into her hand. "She was your real sister. That makes sense."

He opened his eyes and frowned softly, "I don't want to lose anyone anymore."

"I understand."

"I can't lose you."

"What do you mean?" she looked at him quizzically.

"I've lost some of the most important people in my life. I can't lose you, too." Tears started falling down his face again.

"Zuko, you won't lose me," Katara whispered, taking his chin and lifting his head so they locked eyes. He stayed silent, his eyes reflected the pain and rejection he had felt just a couple of nights ago. Despite having Mai, he was looking at the woman that meant more to him than breathing. He didn't even know how it happened, but in matter of days, he fell in love and had his heart crushed by the same woman.

Without breaking eye contact, he took a deep breath and whispered so lowly, it was barely audible, "I already have."

….

_Present Time_

"Katara?" Aang's tenor voice carried through the wind back to the saddle where Katara was lounging.

"Yeah, Aang?"

"We're almost to Ember Island. I can see it on the horizon."

Katara jumped in surprise, "Already?!"

The Avatar chuckled and patted Appa's head, "Yeah, Appa missed the land and knows there will be good food waiting for him. Right, buddy?"

Appa groaned in response. Katara giggled and called back to him, "Are you excited?"

"Yeah!" he exclaimed with his trademark grin, "I can't wait to see everyone! Zuko was smart to throw this little get together! Though I bet Iroh planted the seed in his head…"

As Aang continued to ramble on, Katara stilled at the mention of Zuko's name. He had been on her thoughts every night when she went to sleep and every morning when she woke up. His golden eyes, his rare and brilliant smile, the scars. His whole essence plagued her mind and what she hated was that she didn't hate it. She imagined his lips instead of Aang's. His warm hands instead of the fumbling ones remaining in safe zones…

Appa's sudden descent jolted Katara out of her daydream. She glanced over the edge of the saddle and saw the island.

"Look! It's Zuko!"

….

The waves lapping his ankles reminded him of a time long passed, one where a certain waterbender stood with him on this very shore. Zuko's heart skipped a beat every time he thought about her, then immediately clenching in heartbreak. He honestly thought he was going to die every time her face flashed through his mind. So death came to him multiple times a day. This vacation would be a good distraction from his duties as Fire Lord, but it would be a painful reminder having to spend every day watching the woman he loves be with another man. _Well, actually a boy. No matter._

Zuko was dragged from his thoughts when a low groan came from the sky. He looked up and saw the flying bison soar over his head and land in the courtyard up the hill. Zuko walked up the hill to greet the guests. The bald monk jumped from the head of the bison and laughed and waved at Zuko.

But Zuko's eyes were on the woman jumping gracefully from the saddle onto the cobblestone.

Katara.

….

When they caught his eye, Katara watched as Zuko turned and followed Appa to the courtyard behind him. He kept a casual pace as he hiked up the hill. Katara could tell that in the year that has passed, he had grown tremendously. His shoulders and chest were broader. His hair nearly reached his shoulders and swept into a sloppy half top knot. He was taller than she remembered, but she mainly noticed the growth of his muscles. They were much larger and defined than she remembered. His chest peaked out of the sleeveless vest he wore and the star-shaped lightning burn was right on the edge of the "V".

She climbed down from the saddle and smiled at the approaching Fire Lord.

"Zuko!" Aang shouted and started running towards him, but stopped and bowed. "I mean, Fire Lord Zuko."

"Avatar Aang," Zuko said stiffly as he bowed in return, then he looked up and grinned as he straightened his back. After an awkward silence he opened his arms, "Okay you can hug me now."

Aang smiled broadly and pounced on the firebender, squeezing all of the air out of his lungs. Katara giggled at the exchange as Zuko tried squirming out of the Avatar's grip.

"KA-TARA!" he groaned, "HELP ME!"

The master waterbender burst into laughter at the all-mighty and powerful Fire Lord being squished to death by a thirteen-year-old.

"PLEASE!" he croaked.

"Aang, let him go."

"Awh man!" Aang released Zuko who gasped for breath as he hunched over, bracing his hands on his knees. "We haven't seen him in a year! He needed it as much as I did."

"I'm not so sure about that," Zuko panted. "I think you broke my ribs!"

Katara approached the duo, smiling at Zuko, who caught his eye while he was rubbing his upper abs. He smirked and lowered his hands as she placed hers on her hips.

"Zuko."

"Katara."

Her smile widened as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him into a deep hug.

"Careful!" he coughed, "I just got assalted by a psycho!"

"Heeeeeeeeey!"

Zuko pulled away first and offered Katara a soft, but slightly pained, smile, "Toph is at the market with Suki. Sokka is inside with Uncle Iroh."

Katara raised an eyebrow at him, "Where's Mai?"

Zuko stilled at her question. He took a deep breath and walked past the couple and headed towards the house, "She's not here."

Aang and Katara exchanged confused looks and then started to follow him.

"Why not?" Aang asked loudly. Zuko's shoulders tensed and Katara could only guess that his face had lowered into his trademark scowl. He turned to his left so his scar was looking back at the two.

Without stopping his trek to the house, he answered quietly, "We broke up."

…

_A/N Thanks again for reading this far!_

_I didn't feel like including Mai in the story. I find her hard to write. I also find Suki hard to write as well, but I will make sure to write her as much as I can without hurting myself._

_In case you were wondering, Taang will happen in this story. Have patience, children._

_Much love _

_3_


	8. Nightmares

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA. Nor will I ever. But if Bryan or Mike ever read this, I plead for a speaking part in Korra. That's on my bucket list.

**Chapter 7: Nightmares**

"Aang, how were the peace talks with King Bumi?" Sokka asked in between honking bites of meat.

"Pretty good!" Aang said after swallowing a bite of fruit tart, "Bumi is pretty agreeable. The biggest issue we discussed was figuring out an heir for him, seeming he doesn't have any kids."

"Who have you guys agreed on?" Zuko inquired.

"We haven't yet," Aang sighed. "We have to go back after the anniversary festivities. Practically the whole world is pausing in order to celebrate the end of the war."

Katara lowered her head when Zuko's eyes met hers after Aang revealed their travel plans. He rose an eyebrow but decided to ask later why he happened to see a faint dusting of a brush on her cheeks.

"Wait 'we?'" Suki asked after sipping some of Iroh's famous ginseng tea.

"Katara and I," Aang beamed. "We travel everywhere now that the war is over. Just like old times."

"Not necessarily," Toph cut in. "Not all of us get the luxury of travelling the world all willy nilly…"

As, Aang and Toph continued bantering about Aang's travels and Toph's lack of them, Zuko turned to Katara on his right and leaned in close to her.

"Something wrong?" he whispered lowly.

She turned and frowned, "I'll tell you later."

"Courtyard when the moon is highest?" he suggested with a wry smirk.

She smiled sadly and nodded, "Sure."

"Lily livers?! What does that even mean?"

….

A thin cloud traveled across the waxing gibbous moon. Katara was laying on her back and counting the stars when she heard the light footsteps behind her. A head leaned into her line of sight and grinned down at her.

"You're blocking my view," she said lightly, leaning to her left in order to see past him.

"My bad," he chuckled. Zuko stood back and walked around to her right then laid down on the stone next to her, cradling his head on his arms as he joined her stargazing. After a few moments of contempt silence, he turned to her slightly and whispered, "You know my favorite constellation is Ursa Major?"

She turned and locked eyes with him, "Why is that?"

He smiled sadly and returned his gaze to the sky. With a sigh, he replied, "The mother."

"Oh."

He rolled to his side and propped his head on his bent arm, "So what's on your mind?"

Katara took a deep breath and exhaled exasperatedly. She sat up and hugged her knees, resting her chin on her folded arms. Zuko followed suit and sat up as well, donning his story-telling pose.

"It's been a year since I've been home, and it was only for a week. Aang keeps insisting we travel but I want to stay in one place for longer than four days. The nomadic lifestyle is starting to wear on me. I don't think I can do it much longer."

"That's not it."

Katara turned and saw Zuko raising his eyebrow in suspicion. She rested her chin on her knees again and took another deep sigh.

"No…"

"Tell me, Katara."

"He's too busy with being the Avatar to notice that something is wrong. He thinks everything is perfect."

"But it's not," Zuko replied softly, sounding as if he was speaking from experience.

"No! It's not!" Katara ducked her head in between her legs and chest, resting her forehead on her knees.

"And you're afraid to confront him about this among other things."

Katara lifted her head and stared at him, "How do you-?"

"I know you," Zuko smirked, "and based on your body language as of the past 6 hours has given me enough clue that you're frustrated with him about something deeper than just moving around from place to place."

"How-"

Zuko tapped his temple with his index finger, smirking wider. Katara sighed and stared at him for a good minute, taking in his matured features. His hair was down and slightly damp from his bath and it glistened in the moonlight. His jaw was more squared off and chiseled as well. His eyes were the same slanted shape but held a more knowing yet ferocious expression, almost like a cat. His lips were a little fuller and his cheekbones were becoming more defined. He was looking more like a man at this second than ever before.

"Why didn't you write?" she whispered after a long moment of silence. He was taken aback by the sudden question, though he knew it was a matter of time until she asked it. He sighed and broke the eye contact, focusing now on a pebble that was between them, picking it up and running it along his fingers.

"Zuko?"

"I didn't think you would want to talk to me…"

"Why do you think that?"

"I just would have been bothering you," he muttered sadly.

"It wouldn't have been a bother," she replied kindly.

He scoffed and tossed the pebble across the courtyard, "Yeah right."

"No, really," she grabbed his hand and he snapped his head towards her. This was the first time they had been alone since she arrived. Actually the first time they had been alone since his coronation. He took a long minute to study her.

Her cheekbones were more pronounced, he chin pointier. She gained more of an hourglass figure since their last meeting, filling out quite nicely up top. Even if her robes hid the fact, he could tell when he looked at her. Her eyes, however, were the same intense cobalt, glistening with spirit as she gazed at him.

"I was fine," he said shortly.

"Obviously not," Katara retorted. "When did you and Mai break up?"

"About three and a half months ago."

"Why?"

"She was bored."

Katara couldn't help but snort at the comment, "Really?"

Zuko frowned, "Yes. I wasn't spending enough time with her and she wasn't allowed to do anything in court because of the fact that she's not an ambassador or the Fire Lady. And with me visiting my father to find out where my mother is, she wasn't taking it too lightly that I was keeping that a secret from her."

"Why did you?"

"She didn't need to know," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Well had you intended on making her Fire Lady?" Katara asked softly, subconsciously knowing his answer already.

"I never thought about it," He sighed, looking back up at the sky. "Probably not. My number one choice was taken so I really had a limited selection."

Katara frowned, knowing what he meant. Mai had been his safety net, but he really didn't have any other options without having an arranged marriage. Which Katara knew for a fact he wouldn't like at all. Like her, he was a stickler for romance, whether he'd like to admit it out loud or not. Katara had been shocked by her boldness tonight, but didn't think that after a year of silence Zuko deserved a show of timidity from her.

"Do you want to be ambassador?" Zuko asked suddenly, snapping Katara out of her train of thought.

"Huh?"

"For the Southern Water Tribe," he added in bashfully. "An ambassador. I was going to ask you earlier but we got busy."

"Uh-"

"Toph and Suki are both going to be ones, too. Sokka is future chief and Aang is the Avatar so they're kind of already included in negotiations."

"Is this just your way of getting us all back together?" Katara asked slyly, nudging Zuko's shoulder with her elbow.

"Maybe," he murmured, locking eyes with her and smirking again.

"Well why make me an ambassador?" she queried with an arched brow.

Zuko rotated his body so he was facing her fully and folded his hands in his lap, "I trust you. And I think you're brilliant and forward. Qualities that are quite perfect for representing your tribe in my court."

Katara sighed and frowned. After a half a minute of deliberation, she stood and brushed herself off. She turned and headed inside, leaving the very confused Fire Lord still sitting in the middle of the courtyard.

"I'll think about it."

….

After a week at the beach, the gang headed to the Capital for the anniversary celebration. Katara almost purposely avoided Zuko throughout the vacation. And he noticed. Not that he could blame her, but it still was a punch to the gut to have her change directions every time he came around a corner or sit far from him at the dinner table. He sent her glances every chance he got and should he happen to catch her eye, she quickly glanced away.

They arrived at the palace on the eve of the celebration. Zuko was immediately ushered away to his study to take care of some last minute preparations and some other Fire Lord duties. She gave his friends an apologetic shrug as he was practically dragged by his collar by his royal vizier.

Katara sighed and slumped her shoulders once he was out of eyesight. It was exhausting keeping up the charade of adamantly avoiding him. One of the servants motioned for the group to follow him to their rooms.

"So what's going on with you and Sparky?"

Katara jumped and yelped when the petite earthbender snuck up on her. Once she caught her breath, she replied, "What? Oh, nothing."

"Right. Did he ask you to be ambassador yet?"

Katara rose her eyebrow and glanced at the trio walking ahead of them: Sokka and Suki arm-in-arm and Aang trotting alongside them, all chattering about the upcoming festivities.

"Yes," she whispered. "But don't tell Aang. I haven't decided yet."

"Why? What's there to think about?" Toph inquired. "Are you just going to keep avoiding Zuko and also telling Aang about the offer? Twinkle Toes is really rubbing off on you if you're sidestepping so much conflict lately."

Katara stopped walking and Toph stopped two steps ahead of her, turning so they were face to face.

"It's sort of obvious, you know," the younger girl said, smirking.

"What is?"

"Your feelings for him. That's why you're avoiding him and the offer."

Katara gasped, "WHAT?!"

"KATARA! TOPH! You guys coming?" Sokka called from the end of the hallway.

"Yeah, hold on!" Toph replied over her shoulder. She started walking again and beckoned Katara to catch up. "Your heart picks up when he's around. And it doesn't with Aang anymore. So you're feeling guilty about it so that's why you're avoiding it."

"I… Uh-"

"Save it. Just accept the position. You can think about with hero you want to be with later down the road."

Toph turned down the hallway and entered their guest suite. Katara followed en suit and walked through the common area to her room. There were four rooms in the suite that all connected to a sitting area adorned with an arrangement of large cushions and a low table. Her room was in the back right corner and when she got inside, she closed the door quietly behind her. When her eyes adjusted to the low light, she noticed an object on her four poster bed. She approached and saw a scroll wrapped with a red ribbon.

She unrolled the note and a smile ghosted her features as she read the familiar calligraphy on the page:

"_K-_

_I expect an answer out of you soon. Or I will coax it out of you._

_Z"_

….

Dinner was pretty uneventful, aside from the eerily quiet Fire Lord. He was silently reflecting as he peered into his tea cup. In his vigil, his tea had gone cold and he hadn't even noticed.

A year ago, he had almost died defending Katara and Hera, only for Hera to die in order to kill Azula. Other than Iroh, he felt he had no family left. His mother was banished six years ago, but as far as he knew, she could have been dead. Especially since she hadn't come back after he was crowned Fire Lord. And his father would spit in his face every time Zuko attempted conversation with him. Aang shouldn't have sparred him with his Energybending. It would have saved Zuko a lot of heartache at his attempts to have a family again.

With that thought, he stood and quietly dismissed himself and left the dining area. Katara went to follow, but Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head gently. Aang noticed this exchange and frowned, but made no point of raising awareness of it.

Zuko let himself into his private quarters and sat in the same spot as the night of his coronation. The memories of that evening flashed through his mind, reminding him of the turmoil and anguish he experienced in the light of the full moon. Not even the attempt of comfort from Katara could have helped him that night, despite her greatest efforts. Her presence just reminded him of the heartache he had been feeling leading up to learning of Hera's devastating fate. And with her avoiding him now just ripped that wound open again, making his chest hurt with every breath he took.

With a shuddering breath, he closed his eyes and willed himself into a meditative state, despite his clouded mind. And after a few moments, all was quiet.

….

"Zuko?"

The familiar smooth and honeyed voice caused Zuko to shoot open his eyes, but immediately regretted it when he was pained with the sight of an all-white environment, save the body sitting cross-legged in front of him.

The girl had black hair and pale skin much like his own. She was wearing regal red robes that fit to her body almost perfectly. Her hair was straight and tossed over her shoulder, as if she had been playing with it recently. Her golden eyes didn't seem fitting on her, because for so long he was used to them being a vibrant purple.

"H… Hera?"

"Well, hi, Zuke," she smiled and reached for his hand as he sat up. He could actually feel his touch, which actually frightened him.

"Am I… dead?" the last word came out as a whisper as he widened his stare at her.

Hera giggled, "No silly. You're dreaming. But you asked me here."

Zuko raised his good eyebrow, "What?"

"You asked for my help, oh mighty Fire Lord," she added with a slight bow and wink.

"I wasn't aware."

"I figured as much," she smirked. "You've always been dense in the area of spirituality, my old friend."

Zuko scowled at her and pulled his hand away from her grip, "So what did I ask for your help with?"

"You tell me," she sighed as she leaned back onto her palms.

"I didn't know I needed any help," he lowered his gaze to his pants hem. He was wearing his typical sleeping outfit: a pair of loose fitting trousers and a sleeveless vest. He kept fiddling with a loose string on the right hem. _Why would I notice something like this in a dream?_

"You know you're terrible at lying, right?"

He chuckled and raised his head back up to Hera, who had been smirking at him.

"You're worried."

"What am I worried about?"

"Tomorrow," Hera whispered. "It's been a year since I died. And you still think it's your fault."

Zuko frowned and lowered his gaze again, "It is. It was."

"I chose to attack Azula."

"You didn't have to."

"I knew what I got into when I went back to the palace before the comet. I wanted to kill her myself, Zuke. It was my mistake that she grabbed me."

Zuko frowned and bowed his head even lower. He shuddered and whispered very lowly, "I'm so sorry. I should have been able to protect you."

"But you needed to protect Katara more."

He snapped his head back up and stared at his old friend. She was smiling softly.

"I know you love her."

He smiled in return, "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah a little bit. Especially to us spirits," Hera laughed. She stopped and then frowned, "Go to her."

"What?"

Hera leaned forward and took both of Zuko's hands within her own, squeezing them gently and smiling sadly at him. She sighed and spoke softly, "She's confused and needs help. The Avatar will be going down a separate road as her very soon and his final destination will be very far from hers."

"What do you mean?" Zuko was starting to get confused. All this spirit mumbo jumbo was always a puzzling topic for him.

Hera sighed, "Soon, she is going to make a decision that will affect you as well. And perhaps the whole world. You need to be there and help her go down the right path. Zuko, you need be wary though. The darkness can always creep back and conquer your lives like it had done mine."

"What are you talking about, Hera?!" Zuko was getting angry at her cryptic responses. She began to look around frantically and stared right at him and gasped right when her body was engulfed with purple and red flames and sparks of electricity. Everything began to melt and char, except her striking gold eyes, which hadn't moved from staring right back into his.

…

After dinner, everyone dispersed throughout the palace. Zuko still hadn't made an encore appearance at the dinner table after his abrupt exit at the beginning of the meal. Katara began to get concerned for her friend, knowing how he was feeling considering the circumstances of the anniversary. She decided to sneak away from her room and made her way to his quarters.

His room was right around the corner from hers, so the walk was relatively short. Before she had the chance to open her mouth at the guards, screaming came from behind the closed doors. Katara sprinted past the two armored men and burst open the door, turning the corner to find a violently shaking Zuko laying on the floor in front of the fireplace.

She jumped over the cushions and risked rug burns to slide across the floor to kneel next to her screaming friend. She grasped his shoulders and turned him onto his back so he was facing her. His eyes were screwed shut and a cold sweat had broken across his skin, making him feel clammy. She starting shaking him to wake him, yelling, "ZUKO! Wake up!"

His eyes shot opened and he stilled before roughly grabbing her shoulders and pulling her down on top of him and burying his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. She rolled them onto their sides and rested his head on her right arm and stroked the back of his head with her left, shushing him and murmuring in his ear, trying to calm down his shaking.

"I… saw it," he whimpered.

"Saw what?"

"Hera… dying," he started sobbing quietly into her, clutching her sleeping tunic with tight fists on her back.

"Sshh… It's okay, Zuko. I'm here…. Ssshh…"

After a few minutes, he quieted and stopped trembling. But Katara kept rubbing his back and hair. He shifted a little and pulled her a little closer, pressing their bodies together in a manner that was similar to a child trying to find comfort from his mother.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" he whispered, his voice rough from his crying. She pulled her head away slightly and looked into his pained bloodshot eyes.

"Of course."

"Thank you. So much," he nuzzled back into her chest and took a shaky breath. When he exhaled, his warm breath tickled her and she tightened her grip on him. He almost fell asleep instantly in her arms. Katara sighed but continued to rub his back. She kissed the crown of his head and was cajoled into sleep by his rhythmic breathing.

….

Zuko was jolted awake by the shifting of his body. Or something next to his body. He opened eyes, which had felt terribly dry. The only thing he could see in the moonlight was a slight expanse of tan skin. Confused, he pulled away to see the beautiful face of Katara above him, sleeping peacefully. Her arm was wrapped around his shoulders and his head was resting on the other. His arms were tightly wrapped around her waist.

In the moonlight, she looked like a spirit. The planes of her breathtaking face illuminated in the silvery light. He lifted his right hand and gently brushed some of the hair out her face, so he could better admire her.

She stirred and opened her eyes, "Zuko?"

"Hey," he whispered softly, if not a little awkwardly.

"Are you okay?" she asked sleepily.

"I'm better now," he said with a coy smile, cupping her cheek and stroking the skin with his thumb. She leaned into the touch and closed her eyes.

"Zuko…"

"Sshh… You can go back to your room if you want."

His statement made her still and she opened her eyes and locked them on the golden pair in front of her, "I don't want to."

Zuko smiled softly and slowly rolled onto his back, pulling Katara with him so she rested on his chest. She started tracing the outline of the lightning scar, the feathery touch soothing him. He lowered his hand and tucked it under her chin, lifting it up so she looked at him.

"Thank you, Katara," he smiled softly at her.

"Anything for you," she whispered. She adjusted herself so her face was closer to his. Now, their noses were mere inches from each other. For some reason, it felt like the distance between them was slowly closing. She exhaled and her sweet breath tickled his lips. Unconsciously, he licked them and her eyes darted to the movement. In that second, both benders tilted their heads slightly and their lips joined in a soft, yet passionate kiss.

…..

_A/N cliffhanger! I know, I'm a bitch. Especially after last chapter. But don't worry, it gets better. IN FACT, there will be some smutty goodness in the next chapter ;)_

_ANYWHO!_

_I would like to suggest for a good workout that you act like you're bending. I was doing some kick boxing and was acting like I was firebending. Then for my cool down, I was imagining I was waterbending. Let's just say, I'm sore. No wonder Zuko was so freaking ripped! Hashtag yummy. _

_I'll update when I can. Most likely sometime this weekend!_

_3_


	9. Guilt

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Though I would just love to be a part of it.

**Chapter 8: Guilt**

Zuko was kissing her. ZUKO was kissing HER. But this wasn't like any kiss she had experienced before. Not rushed or awkward like with Aang or invasive like Jet. No, this was something entirely different. His hands cupped her face and brought her closer to him. His lips were soft and hot and tasted sweet. His tongue flicked across her lower lip and she opened her mouth in a gasp as he slid it in. He explored her mouth with fervor and passion, caressing her cheeks and massaging her tongue.

For once, Katara felt euphoric.

But then, Zuko pulled away, softly panting for air. Katara opened her eyes and her face wrinkled in confusion.

"I-uh… I'm sorry," he whispered, removing his hands from her face and looking at her with a pained expression, like he felt he made a mistake. She remained silent, studying the man underneath her. His eyes were puffy but the rest of his face, including the scar, was angelically and hauntingly beautiful.

"Zuko…"

"I'm so sorry Ka-"

"Stop."

He stilled at her words and he pulled away. With an extremely hurt look in his eyes, he sat up and frowned, "What?"

"Stop apologizing."

"Why?"

"You have no reason to apologize," she murmured with a smile as she brushed the hair off his forehead.

"But what about Aang? If he found out-"

"Sshh…" she pressed her fingers to his lips, secretly relishing in their softness. "This will be our little secret."

He kissed her fingers and gently grabbed her hand and pulled it away, but still held it against his chest. He smirked and leaned closer to her, narrowing his eyes seductively, "In that case, may I kiss you again?"

"Such the king," she murmured, "asking my permission."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'?"

She leaned to him and planted a chaste kiss on his lower lip, "It's a 'maybe some other time', Fire Lord."

He pouted, "Why not?"

"Well, Zuko," Katara sat up and patted his chest softly, "I can't very well be caught leaving your room in the morning. That would scream 'scandal' and with your recent break up that would look extremely bad for both of us."

He chuckled and adjusted so he was resting his weight on his forearms behind him, "Fine. If you insist. I'll hold you to it though."

She stood and she helped him up. He escorted her to his door, resting his hand on her lower back. She turned on her heels and looked up into his eyes, the golden orbs flickered in the dim candle light. He smiled and tucked a lock of loose hair behind her ear.

"Thanks for staying with me," he whispered as he cupped her cheek.

She smiled and rested her hand on top of his, "You would have done the same for me."

Katara turned and opened the door. As she was walking away, she heard Zuko say softly, "Sweet dreams, Katara."

She spun around and smiled warmly at the man standing in the doorway, "You too, Zuko."

….

The next afternoon, Katara was roaming the palace corridors and her mind was off on a different planet. She was ridden with guilt, but also contempt satisfaction. It felt amazing to kiss Zuko. And thrilling to think about his hands holding her, caressing her body in ways Aang had never even fathomed.

Aang.

That's where the guilt came in. As far as they were concerned, Katara and Aang were still a couple. And after a year they were still only on a holding hands and awkward kiss basis. Maybe that's why the kiss with Zuko felt so different. Because it was mature and passionate. And real.

Katara would have thought more on the issue but her mind was broken out of its train of thought when she heard Aang's voice carry from around the corner.

"Have you seen Katara?"

"No I haven't, Avatar Aang," Iroh's voice replied. "I am actually looking for my nephew. He left a council meeting rather abruptly…"

"Maybe they're together in his study around the corner."

Katara panicked. She didn't want to speak to either Aang or Iroh. She was too full of guilt to be able to act calmly. She looked to her sides when a hand from the decorative curtains against the wall on her left pulled her in. A separate warm hand covered her mouth as she was pressed against an even warmer body. The mystery person's hard chest expanded against her head, taking in a deep breath. Katara tried to struggle away but his grip tightened.

"Sshh…" It was Zuko. "Stay still and be quiet."

Katara relaxed and melted into his chest. He shook in a silent laughter.

"I could have sworn he came this way," Iroh said as his and Aang's steps rounded the corner.

"Well where else would they be?" Aang said they passed the invisible duo behind the curtains. Zuko's arm tightened around Katara's waist and he pulled her closer to his body, unconsciously pressing his hips against her buttocks.

"Perhaps the turtle duck pond…" Iroh's voice carried away from them. After a few moments, Zuko relaxed and slumped against the wall, pulling Katara with him.

"Thanks, Zuko," Katara whispered.

"Trust me, that was more for me than for you," he breathed against her neck and she responded with a shiver, "You cold?"

"No," she turned around and faced him, "You tickled my neck."

He smirked and leaned his face into the crook of her shoulder and murmured, "Like this?"

He exhaled and she arched her body involuntarily into his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and chuckled as he nuzzled her again.

"Well he's not in his study. And she's not in her room," Aang's voice was approaching them again. They both stilled and Zuko pulled Katara even closer, if that was even possible, so they wouldn't be detected. She blushed at the contact.

"I am not sure about Miss Katara," Iroh replied as they passed again, "but I know my nephew is avoiding me. We will have better luck finding her. Perhaps she would have an inkling on his location."

"I agree," the Avatar said, if not somewhat grudgingly, as they rounded the corner. Katara's head was still resting against Zuko's breast plate, but she lifted it slowly and saw Zuko was already looking at her.

"I don't think they'll come back," he whispered, his sweet breath tickling her face as he spoke.

"But we should stay a little longer," she moved her face a little closer to his.

"… In case they double back…" his lips brushed against hers. She pressed their lips together in a soft kiss. In a second, Katara was whirled around and her back was against the wall. Zuko had one arm wrapped around her waist and the other was holding the back of her neck. She fisted hers in his robes on his back. His tongue intruded her mouth and she willingly danced with it.

Zuko pressed his hips against hers and she felt his need on her lower belly and a fire erupted where he rubbed her. A low moan escaped her lips and he froze. Katara blushed as he broke the kiss and pulled away. His eyes were dark and Katara felt her heart flutter and her lower stomach clench again. Then he attacked. His mouth latched onto her neck and he sucked and bit and ran his tongue along the sensitive skin.

Katara felt a need for friction build in between her legs. She moaned again as Zuko bit the crook of her neck and shoulder. His hands were roaming her body, from squeezing her breasts to running down her sides. He reached her hips and cupped her buttocks, all the while kissing her neck. He broke away and kissed her lips, now with more desire and lust. He lifted her up from underneath her thighs and wrapped her legs around his narrow hips. His member hard under his thin trousers, was rubbing against the sensitive bud between her legs. She gasped at the touch and he hushed her with his lips.

Zuko began grinding his hips, sending shocks of pleasure through Katara's body. She found a rhythm with his hips and began to grind back, using the wall behind her as leverage. A tightening in her belly was building up and she began to shudder as the pleasure flowed through her body. The pressure kept building and building and then overflowed in waves of orgasm. Katara's moans were silenced in Zuko's mouth. Not a moment later, Zuko growled as his orgasm raked through him.

They were still for a moment and then Katara unwrapped her wobbling legs from around Zuko. His face was buried in her neck and he was panting in post-orgasmic bliss. He tightened his grip around her waist, which she was thankful for seeming that she could barely even support her own weight.

"Zuko…" she whispered as she toyed with the hairs that had fallen loose from his top knot.

"Will you meet me tonight?" he murmured against the raw and sensitive skin of her neck.

She smiled and nodded, "Where?"

"Your room. At midnight."

He pulled away and looked her in the eyes. She felt herself blush as he admired her, his cheeks mirroring hers and turning slightly pinker. She nodded and he smirked at her. He kissed her forehead and turned around, poking his head through the curtain to see if the coast was clear. He darted out quietly and disappeared, just as she heard Iroh.

"Oh! Fire Lord Zuko. Where have you been?"

"Hiding from you, of course."

"Oh," Iroh chuckled. "Do you know where Miss Katara is? The Avatar is looking for her."

"I haven't a clue, Uncle."

For some reason, Katara could tell that when he said that, a sly grin had spread across his features.

….

Zuko crept stealthily though the halls of the palace. He knew the guest suite was just around the corner so the odds of him running into a guard or servant was slim to none, but he could never be too careful. He rounded the corner and slunk to the door, slowly turning the handle and pushing it open. The sitting area was thankfully empty, minus a trail of clothing leading the Sokka and Suki's room. _I seriously need to have a talk with those two. No babies are being made in my palace._

He walked to Katara's door, ignoring that nagging feeling he gets when he knows Toph is paying attention. But right now, he didn't care. There wasn't any point sneaking over when she would undoubtedly feel what he and Katara were going to do. He snickered quietly to himself as he approached Katara's door. He knocked quietly and not five seconds later the door was swung open to reveal and outstandingly beautiful waterbender.

"Well, hello," she murmured, narrowing her eyes and grinning.

"May I come in, milady?" he said with a slight bow.

"It's your palace," she giggled as she stepped aside and led him inside. She walked to her bed and sat down, patting the spot next to her. He closed the door behind him and locked it, smirking and raising a suggestive brow.

"So why did you want to see me here tonight?" she whispered, eyeing him up and down as he slowly advanced to her, hands behind his back.

He chuckled and looked down at her, reveling in her beauty in the moonlight, "I can't request the company of a gorgeous woman?"

She blushed and looked away bashfully, "Normally that would mean I go to your room."

"You did last night."

Katara raised an unamused brown at him, and he couldn't help but grin even wider.

"Besides, I like to change things up every once in a while," he leaned down and braced his hands at her sides on the bed. His forehead pressed against hers and pushed her down until she was on her back and he was leaning on top of her, "And I like to keep you on your toes."

She inhaled his breath deeply as his hand traveled up her side and stopped at the sash of her robe. He paused and smirked again. In one swift motion, the sash was untied and whipped away, letting her robe fall open.

Zuko gasped when his eyes feasted on the sight underneath him. Two tan globes with chocolate nipples standing erect at their peaks were heaving with heavy breaths. Her taut stomach laid way for a small thatch of curly brown hair between her thighs.

"You're… not wearing any wrappings," he swallowed thickly, heart pounding in his ears. He could feel his body heating up in response to the artwork beneath him.

"Mhm," she purred as she reached up and started playing with the hair on his neck.

"Well," he sighed seductively as he lowered his head and grazed her neck with his nose, "I like that. You should do it more often."

He slowly continued his descent, stopping his face at her right nipple. He felt her writhe as he exhaled a hot breath on the mound.

"What is it?" he murmured.

"Please…"

"Please what?"

"Please me."

He smiled at her and took the nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and sucking it lightly. He rolled it in between his teeth and pulled it away as he moved to the other side, repeating the processes. Katara was grinding her hips upward against Zuko's stomach and he could feel her wetness soaking through his shirt. He pulled away and looked up at her. Her eyes were hooded and dark with lust.

"Well you got my shirt wet," he feigned a pout.

"Take it off," she growled.

"If you insist," he sighed. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the opposite side of the bed. He lowered back down on top of her and kissed her stomach. Zuko slowly started heading south and the smell of her arousal made his mouth water.

Once he reached the apex of her thighs, he paused, blowing on the wet skin in front of him. She wiggled and he punched her thigh above the knee.

"Hold still," he rumbled and ran his tongue along the slit. She moaned at the touch and he smiled. Then Zuko began dancing his tongue on her clit, kissing and licking her pearl of pleasure. She was panting softly and gripping his hair tight. Her moans made his blood run hot with desire.

He slipped one finger inside of her and she moaned out and bucked her hips against his face. He used his free hand to hold her down as he continued to ravish her.

A sudden knock on the door made the lovers freeze.

"Katara?" It was Aang. _Stupid mother fucking kid._

"Hide under the bed!" Katara hissed at him as she closed her robe, her body still flushed with arousal. Zuko nodded and leapt out of sight and dashed under the bed. He heard Katara step to the door and open it to the monk outside.

"Yes, Aang?" her voice still shaky from their ministrations.

"Are you okay? It sounded like you were having a nightmare or something.

Zuko chuckled inwardly as he imagined Katara blushing at the comment.

"Uh, no," she sighed. "What are you doing here? It's late."

"I wanted to talk to you this afternoon, but I couldn't find you," he replied.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Us."

Zuko froze.

"What about us?" Katara asked after a couple of seconds of silence.

"Can I come in?"

_NO, NO, NO! MAKE HIM LEAVE!_

"Sure, come in," Katara said, sounding irritated. Zuko felt Aang's light steps head for the bed and heard the bed creak when the Avatar sat on the edge. Katara remained standing in front of him.

"What is it, Aang?"

"Well, we've been a couple for a year now," Aang started," and I think it's about time we take the next step."

"What do you mean?"

Zuko felt his temper flare and he was sure that the temperature in the room was rising. And he couldn't do anything about what he thought the monk was about to do.

"I mean-" Zuko felt the weight of the bed lower, meaning Aang pulled Katara down. His head felt as if it was going to explode.

"Aang! No-"

"Why not?" his reply was muffled and Zuko was on the verge of screaming.

"I-"

"WHAT IS GOING ON TWINKLE TOES?!"

_TOPH! Thank, Agni! _

"We're- uh-"

"When a girl says 'no', that fucking means 'NO'!" the earthbender shouted. "Now, get out before I pummel you!"

"Yes, ma'am," Aang said as he jumped off the bed and raced out of the room. After a moment of silence, the bed creaked again.

"Sparky, I know you're down there."

The door closed and Katara stood and went to lock it. Zuko pulled himself out from under the bed and didn't even try to hide the scowl that was gracing his face. When he stood up straight, Katara was leaning against the door, arms holding the door knob behind her back.

"So…" she started, stepping away from the wall and heading towards Zuko.

"We can't continue this tonight," Zuko muttered sadly as he stepped backwards, raising his arms up, palms forward.

Katara stopped, "Why?"

At her defeated tone, Zuko lowered his head and slumped his shoulders, "I can't do this to Aang. You need to talk to him before we possibly continue this."

He made to step around her but stopped when he was at her side, "Come to my quarters, same time, when you take care of this."

He kissed her temple and headed out of the room. He ignored Toph's '_That was quick Sparky' _and made his way down the corridor to his room. He felt steam leave his nostrils as he strode through the palace. He didn't even notice that he left his shirt in Katara's room, or the fact that a servant saw him shirtless stomping down the halls. Once he reached his door, he passed his guards and stormed to his meditation corner. He sat and tried to calm his mind, but all he could see was Katara's aroused body and then a particular airbender trying to take his place.

….

_A/N finals are over! YAY! I passed all of my classes and now it's time for "summer break". It's not really a break if you take care of a baby and prepare for a homecoming for your solider. But I DON'T CARE! IT'S SUMMA TIME!_

_I was on Pinterest the today and I saw a little pin where Zuko was chasing Aang (they were in their season 3 outfits) and Zuko was like "I'm gonna get chu!" and Aang was like "Oh noes!" I thought it was so silly. I love the Avatar fandom. It's amazing how creative people can get from just watching a show. Sometimes, the lines between show and fandom get blurred and I get confused. But it's awesome._

_ZUTARA 2014!_

_3_


	10. Author's Note 2

_**Even if you're lost you can't lose the love because it's in your heart.**_

**I am well aware that I just posted three chapters in a span of two days. But I. DON'T. CARE. ILOVEIT.**

**Finals are over and I'm done with school until the fall. So hopefully I'll have this story cranked out for all of you by the end of summer. I'll be busy after that ;)**

**But as a treat for reading this and sticking with me so far, I am going to give you a sneak peek into my next chapter fic named **_**The Swamp.**_

**ENJOY!**

…**.**

She found herself in the middle of a clearing. The ground raised and the moon shining on the crest of the hill. And that's when she saw him.

There was a boy. Well, not a boy. But not really a man either. He was young, but not much older than Sokka. His back was to her, but he was wearing a simple Earth Kingdom commoner outfit: brown pants and a green shirt underneath a dark green tunic. He had ink black hair that hung in a shag down his neck. His shoulders were broad, and she could tell even through his clothing that he was very fit, as if he had worked hard every day of his life. He was standing still, and looking up to the sky, as if he was stargazing. Katara approached him slowly, trying not to startle him.

"Excuse me?" she called to him. He didn't move. "Can you help me? I'm lost and I'm trying to find my friends."

He lowered his head and looked straight forward. Then he slowly turned his head to the right and looked over his shoulder at her. In the moonlight, his skin looked white. Almost like snow. His eyes were practically glowing as he stared at her. She couldn't help but feel mesmerized as he stared back at her.

"Can you help me?"

He turned his head a little more so his shoulders were slightly turned towards her now. She still could only see the right side of his face, but he was looking at her penetratingly with that one eye. For some reason, he seemed familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it but it felt like she had already met him before.

"Who are you?"

The man smirked and turned away from her, looking back up at the stars. She approached him again, walking up to his side and looking up at his peaceful face. His jaw was hard and chiseled. His nose was narrow and straight. His cheekbones were high, but in a masculine way. And then that's when she noticed his eyes.

They were a piercing gold, a strong and fierce color that she knew only belonged to Fire Nation aristocrats. But his were different than the ones she had seen before. They were soft, and oddly warm. Like swirling pools of liquid amber.

"Do I know you?" she asked softly. He lowered his head and looked straight forward. Then he lifted the corners of his mouth into a smirk that at that immediate moment made her freeze to the ground. He turned his head and looked straight at her. His mouth was still in that lopsided smirk, but not in the one she had remembered. It was softer, more genuine. More for a lover than an enemy. And his eyes were in a gentle expression, not the icy glare she had seen on multiple occasions. The only similarity on his face was the angry crimson scar spread across his left eye. But even right now it didn't look as fierce and ugly as it had in the past. Actually, when she looked at him, he didn't look anything like she had remembered from their fights. Right now, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation looked human.

….

**YAY! I got that plot bunny while watching "The Swamp". I can't wait to start it fully after **_**Touch of Violet**_** is finished. I love this story, but my creative juices are flowing and begging me to write some different material. **

**I'll try to whip out some more one-shots, but it will be only when I have the mindset (aka drunk and listening to some good music.)**

**THANKS FOR READING!**


	11. Choices

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

**Chapter Nine: Choices**

"What do you want me to say? Go 'Aang, I'm sorry but I'm not sexually attracted to you. Sorry we need to break up?'"

"More or less, yes."

"Toph," Katara groaned as she laid back on one of the cushions, "I don't know what to do!"

"Katara," Toph sat up from her lounging spot across the table from her, "you can't keep sneaking around with Zuko and lead Aang on letting him think you still love him."

"I just don't want to hurt him."

"You already are!" Toph shouted, making Katara jump. "He thinks you're pushing him away, which by your behavior last night, is looking a little true. He thinks he loves you and will do whatever it takes to keep you. And he's completely oblivious to how you feel about Zuko. Well not completely. He saw how you tried to follow him out at dinner. And I could tell it hurt him."

"Toph-"

"Save it. By the way you've been acting, he doesn't even deserve you. Heck, I don't think either of them do. You picked Aang over Zuko after he got back from his battle with Ozai. Then when Zuko picked Mai, you got jealous and didn't write him. And you won't go further than pecks with Aang because you don't feel attracted to him like you are to Zuko. But honestly, Zuko needs someone who is honest with themselves and doesn't fool with the minds of the guys who love her."

Katara sat up and stared incredulously at Toph as she stood and headed to the door of their suite. The earthbender didn't pause as she opened the door to the hallway and shut it forcefully. Katara bent her knees up to her chest and hugged them, thinking about what went on.

…

_After the Agni Kai_

He leaned a little closer to her, his nose barely grazing hers, "It's because the Avatar is in love with her, too."

Katara's breath hitched in her throat. His eyes started to look pained as silence dragged on. She kept her mouth shut, not knowing what to say as she stared into the liquid gold. Her heart was fluttering in her chest, and she felt a blush warming her cheeks. After a couple of minutes of stillness, Zuko pulled her off of his lap and stood up weakly. A look of pain and rejection crossed his face when she looked up at him.

"Zuko… I-"

"There's nothing you can say," he sighed. "It's not right. Forget I said anything."

He stepped over her and walked to his bed. He took off his burnt shirt and vest and laid painfully on the mattress. With his back to her, he fell asleep almost instantly. Katara watched him as random spasms shook his body in his sleep. He kept his back to her, not turning once. She didn't move either. She remained in the same spot on the floor and watched the Fire Lord sleep.

About an hour after he fell asleep, a slight knock came to his door. Katara managed to tear her wet eyes from the sleeping body on the bed and stood to answer. When she opened the door, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her neck tightly, cutting off her air flow and crushing a body against hers.

"Katara!"

"SSHH!"

She pushed the person out into the hallway and closed the door quietly behind her. She turned back around and saw Aang standing in front of her, his skin was dirty and his shirt had been torn. He was grinning ear to ear.

"Aang!" she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him in a deep hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. So… Is Ozai…?"

"Oh," Aang pulled away and smiled even wider, if that was possible. "No he's alive. I took his bending away."

Katara gasped and raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "How did you do that?"

"A giant lion turtle taught me," he said matter-of-factly. He hugged her again and nuzzled his face in her neck. "I'm so happy you're safe. How's Zuko?"

"He's fine, I guess," Katara lied, wanting to avoid mentioning the heartache he was inevitably feeling right now, even in his sleep. "Azula struck him with lightning. He's weak, but he'll live."

"And you? Are you hurt?" Aang pulled away and grasped her shoulders, looking her over and settling his gaze on her face.

She smiled and shook her head, "No I'm fine. All thanks to Zuko and Hera."

Katara froze and looked at the floor before the tears fell down her cheeks. Aang lifted her head with his hand and frowned.

"It's okay, Katara," he smiled sadly. "It'll be fine."

She sniffed and wiped the tears off her cheeks. He smiled and stared at her for a good minute before leaning towards her and kissing her. He pressed his lips timidly against hers. She felt his hands rest awkwardly on her hips. She really didn't know what to do so she lifted her hands and placed them on his shoulders.

A clearing of a throat behind them startled the duo out of their kiss. Aang looked over Katara's shoulder and blushed, while Katara whipped around and saw Zuko standing in the doorway with a furious look on his face. His glare was focused on Aang, but then he looked down at Katara with what could only be a scowl and eyes that had been dropped in the coldest ocean of the South Pole. Katara could see in his face the heartbreak he was feeling as he watched Aang kiss her.

"If you would please," he stated coldly, "I'm trying to get some rest. Go make out in front of someone else's door."

With that, he slammed the door shut in Katara's face before she could retort. Her face fell sadly and Aang placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Is he okay?" he asked. Katara shook her head, to answer the question and to wave off the tears she felt coming. She walked away from Zuko's door and headed down the corridor, ignoring Aang's calls to her as she tried to flee from the image of Zuko getting his heart broken plastered in her brain.

….

The group, minus Zuko and Aang, were all standing out in the courtyard awaiting the festivities. Katara was nervously twiddling her thumbs as they waited for the Fire Sages to walk out for the crowning of the new Fire Lord.

"Nervous, Sugar Queen?"

Katara turned around to see Toph standing to her right, picking some dirt from underneath her fingernails. She scowled at the behavior but returned her gaze to the balcony in front of them.

"No, I'm fine," she lied.

"You know, Zuko is running late. Why don't you go check on him?"

"Why me?"

Toph turned her unfocused gaze to Katara and smirked, "Well you're his closest friend here. He probably needs help getting his robes on or something. And I think he could use another healing session, too."

Katara rose a suspecting brow at her younger friend but agreed to go check on him. She walked around to the back entrance of the palace and made her way to Zuko's new quarters. Since Ozai was locked in jail, Zuko was moved to his father's old suite, much to his disliking. She rounded the corner and heard him speaking to someone.

"So does that mean you don't hate me?" came his voice.

"It think it means I actually kind of like you," was the reply. Katara stilled and remembered that voice. It was that depressed knife-throwing girl. What was her name? Mai?

Katara approached the open doorway and saw Zuko and Mai kissing. Her heart stopped and she felt it falter in her chest. It clenched and her stomach felt like it was going to drop into oblivion. Her throat felt thick like she had just swallowed a too large dumpling. Her breath hitched and she felt her eyes prickle with tears. _Why am I feeling like this?_ _Is this how he felt when he saw Aang kiss me the other day? _

"But don't EVER break up with me again," Mai said after they broke their kiss. Zuko smiled nervously and hugged her. Then he looked up and spotted a frozen Katara in the doorway. His eyes were boring into hers, the gold orbs staring into her soul. Before Mai could see her, she turned around and sprinted away. _He knows that it hurt for me to see that. _

Once she reached the door to go outside, she stopped and composed herself, wiping the tears off her face and taking a deep breath to calm her heart. Toph would know something was up if her heart was wrenching like this when she went back to the plaza.

With one last deep breath, she opened the door and jogged back to her place among the crowd. She reached Toph's side and caught her breath.

"Did you find him?" Toph asked.

"Yeah," Katara managed to say. "He already had someone helping him, though."

Toph caught Katara's tone of voice and frowned. The earthbender turned to the stage and patted Katara affectionately on her back. Not hard like her normal punches, but comforting. Like she knew Katara was somehow in pain. _Damn heartbeat giving me away._

Then, the crowd erupted in applause as Zuko stepped out in his royal regatta. He smiled at the people and rose his left hand.

"Please," he spoke authoritatively. "The real hero is the Avatar."

The crowd cheered louder as Aang appeared next to Zuko, smiling genially to the people. The two exchanged grins. Zuko faced forward and waited for the crowd to quiet down.

"Today this war is finally over!" he began, "I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation. And I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided." He faced Aang with a smile, "But with the Avatar's help we can get it back on the right path and begin a new era of love and peace."

The crowd erupted in applause again. Then Zuko kneeled in front of the head Fire Sage. The man rose the Fire Lord ornament above his head.

He placed the crown in Zuko's top knot, "All hail, Fire Lord Zuko!"

Zuko rose with pride and stared down the crowd with a determined and fierce expression. The crowd cheered even louder. Zuko stepped forward and motioned Aang to join him at the edge of the balcony. Both stared down at the crowd, scanning for their friends and family.

Katara was tearing up, both for her recent experience and for the pride she felt for her two closest friends. Then, all of a sudden, Zuko's golden eyes locked on hers. They kept looking in each other's eyes for the longest time, ignoring the cheering people around him. She smiled sadly and he frowned in return, turning his head to face Aang and say something to the young Avatar. Aang nodded and they both turned around and went back inside. The crowd died down and started to dissipate, some heading inside for the banquet, other's leaving the plaza to go back to their homes.

But Katara stayed in the same spot, staring up at the balcony where Zuko had once been standing, replaying the look in his eyes before he turned his back and went inside. It was a look of true heartbreak.

And it was her fault.

….

_Present Day_

"Fire Lord Zuko, I must implore that you keep my daughter in consideration-"

"Councilman Kuron, I will not discuss this matter until the anniversary celebration is over with," Zuko snapped in his authoritative tone. "And even then, we will probably run into the same goddamn problem we are right now. I will marry when I damn well please, not when YOU think I should!"

"But, sir, you to sire an heir-"

"I'm only eighteen!" Zuko shouted. "Ozai didn't sire me until he was twenty four. Hell, my uncle didn't sire his son Lu Ten until he was thirty! And he was the Crown Prince! Even Azulon didn't have either of his sons until he was well into his forties. We have more important matters to discuss other than me UNWILLINGLY partaking in frivolous matters."

"Well, with the recent attempts on your life, my Lord, we need to keep in consideration that if it is taken, there are no heirs to the throne. Just think about it," another councilman stated.

Zuko scowled and stood up from his throne and walked down the stairs of the dais to stand at the end of the long table that the council members kneeled in front of. He stared down all of them and took a deep breath, "I think getting our country out of the ground is more important than me wasting my time trying to find a wife. When our economy isn't in the sewers and trade is back up-" he turned and stared down Councilman Kuron, "-then I'll CONSIDER looking for one."

He turned and stormed out of the throne room, a trail of steam following at his feet. He made a bee line to his mother's turtle duck pond and growled and grumbled the entire walk there. He decided to take a detour to the kitchen and snatched a loaf of bread for the ducks and an apple for himself.

Once he reached the pond, he saw that he wasn't going to be alone. The bold blue tattoos reflected the morning summer light on his bald noggin. Aang turned around and saw Zuko approaching, so he stood and bowed to his friend.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Aang said.

Zuko waved him off, "Relax. I'm just here to feed my ducks."

With a smile, Zuko sat at the edge of the water, ripped some of the bread into small pieces and dipped his index finger in the water, motioning the turtle ducks to come eat. As the birds swam over, Aang sat down in his original spot, frowning as he stared at the water. Although Zuko was annoyed with the boy for interrupting his night with Katara, he couldn't help but feel sorry as the monk stared blankly at the water. So Zuko ripped the loaf of bread and handed half of it to Aang.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he absent mindedly ripped the bread and tossed pieces to the baby ducks in the water.

"You seem troubled," Zuko stated after a few minutes of awkward silence, "Something on your mind?"

Aang broke out of his trance and laughed, "You just sounded like Iroh!"

Zuko stilled and blanched, "Don't tell him! He'll never let it down!"

Both teens laughed for a couple of seconds before Aang returned to blankly tossing bread at the ducks.

"Care to elaborate on your unusually sour mood?"

Aang sighed, "It's Katara."

"What about her?" Zuko's stomach clenched, knowing where this was going to head.

"She's avoiding me," Aang started, "and pushing me away. I feel like she doesn't want to be with me anymore."

Zuko stopped feeding the ducks and turned to face Aang more head on, "And why do you think that?"

"Can you keep this between us?" Aang pleaded softly as he lowered his gaze to the ripped loaf in his lap.

"Sure," Zuko smiled gently for the sake of his friend.

Aang took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, "I went to her room last night to talk about stuff and she seemed almost annoyed that I was there."

"Maybe she just didn't want to be woken up," Zuko chuckled nervously. "You know how she gets."

"Yeah, I know. But I tried to… Uh… Well touch her…"

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked as calmly as he could. He could feel his temper starting to flare, but he was doing the best he could to keep in check until Aang left him alone.

"Well I went to kiss her and grab her… Uh chest and she pushed me away and said 'no' both times I tried," Aang slumped his shoulders. "And then Toph came in and kicked me out."

Zuko chuckled as he leaned back onto his palms, ignoring the cutting glare Aang shot at him. He sighed, "That must have been embarrassing. I would suggest you talk to Katara about this. I really can't help you out, seeming that this is an issue between you two and it's probably something going on with her. Communication is key for a relationship to work. Trust me, that's why Mai left."

Aang groaned and laid on his back against the grass. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, "I guess I'll have to…"

"I suggest after the banquet tonight," Zuko said. "I don't think we need any relationship drama at the party."

Aang smiled softly and rolled over to airbend himself up. He tossed the last pieces of bread in the pond and brushed the crumbs off his hands, "Thanks Zuko. I'll see you tonight."

Aang turned and walked, more like sulked, away after Zuko bid his farewell. The Fire Lord remained at the pond, staring at the ripples in the water as the turtle ducks glided around the lily pads. The banquet for the anniversary of the end of the Hundred Year War was that evening. And Zuko couldn't be any less prepared. He groaned and leaned forward and cradled his head in his hands.

"What's up, Sparky?"

"Hey, Toph," Zuko grumbled, not lifting his head to acknowledge her.

"What's got your top knot so tight?" the girl asked as she sat at his right. Zuko groaned again and shook his head hands.

"I'm not looking forward to tonight."

"Speech?"

"Ugh don't remind me."

"And because you have to see Aang and Katara together."

"You're awfully perceptive for someone so small," he chuckled into his hands.

Toph sighed and picked at the grass underneath her, "Just personal experience."

Zuko lifted his face and turned to look at the moping girl next to him, "What? Are you-"

"In love with Aang? Yes."

"Well that explains why you helped us out last night," he snickered.

"That and a good orgasm would do Sweetness some good," she smirk deviously. Zuko shook his head, trying not to burst out in laughter at her.

"When did it happen for you?"

Toph sighed and tossed some of the ripped grass to her side, "I think around the time Hera came to the beach house. Like right after the play, I followed him to his room and comforted him the whole night. For some reason, I just felt something for him ever since. And he didn't even notice. He was too busy being caught up with Katara to even care."

"I'm sorry, Toph."

She shook her head and ripped some more grass, "It doesn't matter. He won't ever notice me like that. And I really don't want to have to feel his heartbeat every time Katara is around."

"At least you don't have to watch it, too," Zuko sighed, looking down at his lap and frowning deeply, "I'm going to need a lot of Sake tonight."

Toph laughed and punched him in the arm, "Mind if I join you?"

"Toph, you're fourteen."

"And?"

Zuko paused for a moment, contemplating. He laughed and nudged her shoulder, "Fine. Just don't expect me to carry you back to your room."

"Likewise, Sparky. Are you going to eat that apple in your pocket?"

….

Katara locked herself in her room after Toph left that morning. After sifting through her memory of the night of the comet, she couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty. _All I do is hurt people. First Zuko, now Aang. And apparently Toph is pissed, too. I've really hit the trifecta. In only one night. _She groaned as she buried her face in her pillow. _I'm a horrible person._

After her late night, she decided that a nap would possibly help her. She was too embarrassed with herself to show her face in the palace today. _But you're going to have to. The banquet is tonight. You're one of the honored guests. You can't flake out._

With a deep breath, Katara shut her eyes and willed herself into a troubled sleep.

..

Katara stirred and felt eerily calm. She opened her eyes and found herself in a completely white environment, save a small lily pond and a woman kneeling at the edge of the water. Her dark hair flowed over her shoulders and ended at her waist. Katara could only see the back of the woman's body, but she could tell the mystery person was young and regal, based on her fine red robes and her straight posture.

Katara slowly stood and walked over to the woman's flank. Before she could see her face, the woman spoke.

"Hello. Katara. It's always nice to see a friendly face."

Katara froze, "Hera?"

Hera turned to Katara on her right and smiled, her golden eyes glistening in the white light. She patted the ground invitingly and Katara leisurely kneeled next to her.

"Am I dead?"

Hera laughed and smiled even wider, "You and Zuko have much more in common than you realize. He asked the same question when I visited him the other night."

"You… You went and saw Zuko? Is that why he had the nightmare?"

Hera looked to her left over her shoulder and then returned her gaze to Katara and nodded, "Yes. I was there originally because he asked for guidance but then something happened and I had to leave."

"What do you mean?"

Hera waved her hand, "Well in the guidance department, he didn't know what to do about you. He really cares about you. I mean to the extent where he admitted to loving you."

Katara stared at the girl next to her, who just ignored the look and continued talking.

"I know it's a tough decision in front of you, but I'm here to help."

"How?"

"I'm going to tell you to listen to your gut," Hera said firmly. "Not your head or your heart. Your gut. If you listen to your brain, you'll automatically pick Aang-"

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he's the Avatar and you rescued him from the iceberg. You feel indebted to him because you guys saved the world together. Because he loves you, you feel obligated to love him in return to make everyone happy.

"But if you listen to your heart, you'd pick Zuko. Because he makes you happy and it feels like your heart is beating faster but slower at the same time whenever he's around. You feel guilty about feeling like this about him because he was once your enemy and he's your exact opposite. With everything. Well except maybe your tempers."

Both girls chuckled but stopped just as quickly. Katara frowned and leaned on her propped up arm, "So what do you mean by 'listen to my gut'? I really don't think there is any way I can honestly pick either one."

"What I mean when I say 'listen to your gut' is think about how they make you feel. And not just in a romantic sense."

Katara paused and thought for a moment, "Well with Aang, I feel secure. And contempt. And at peace. He's very carefree and happy. And he makes me feel that way, too. But he's also very immature and naïve. With his Avatar duties, he's not very attentive to me and my wants and needs."

Hera nodded, "Alright so what about Zuko?"

Katara smiled, "He's passionate. And fierce. He cares so much about the people around him. And he would give up anything and everything in order for them to be happy. He makes me feel so warm and fuzzy and all I want to do is hold his hand…"

"But?"

"But he's so closed off. It takes a lot to have him open up. And sometimes he just makes me so mad with how he's so mercurial. And even if I did happen to pick him, his people wouldn't approve of me. And he would pick his country over me in a hot second."

"You could never be so sure," Hera replied softly. "Perhaps you need to think more on the level of what YOU want and not what the world wants for once. Maybe that will help you decide."

Katara locked eyes with the girl next to her and furrowed her eyes, "What did you do to make Zuko have a nightmare?"

Hera's expression darkened and she dropped her gaze to the water, "I told him too much."

"What do you mean?"

Hera snapped her face back to Katara, an angry look on her normally peaceful and beautiful face, "I warned him. Of what is going to happen with you. But I couldn't tell him in time before… _he _came."

"Until who came?" Katara heard the urgency and fear in Hera's voice and was starting to feel scared herself, "Hera what is going on?"

Hera looked over her shoulder and whipped back around, a panicked look on her face. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. For a moment, all was still until the white around them started to turn black.

"Hera? What's happening?"

Katara was looking around frantically as the pond next to them disintegrated and the entire area around them was pitch black. When she looked back at the girl next her, she couldn't help but feel scared as Hera kept her eyes closed and a wind picked up around them. Then after a few seconds of whirling winds, Hera snapped open her eyes and instead of the golden eyes that had been there before, Katara was in an eye lock with blazing purple irises.


	12. Intoxicated

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

_A/N Sorry about the hold-up with these two chapters. I got blocked out for a couple of days. If you noticed, the avatar for this story has changed! Thank you Doll Divine for having a thing that lets me create a heroine. It's HERA (pre-death)!_

**Chapter 10: Intoxicated**

Zuko stared at himself in the full length mirror, somewhat displeased. The servants had already left him alone after helping him with his robes and tying his top knot, not like he needed it. He hated have people wait on him hand and foot, even after a year of being back at the palace. He felt that if you wanted to get something done right the first time, you might as well do it yourself. That's why he was currently re-doing his hair. The servant who pulled it up left half of it down, which was only a style he wore on casual days. The half top knot reminded himself of his father and Zuko took whatever measures he could to prevent seeing Ozai in the mirror he stood in front of. He even went to the lengths of not growing any facial hair, even though it was customary for the Fire Lord to do so. Zuko drew the line at growing his hair out, despite the objections from his royal vizier, Taron.

When Zuko finished with his hair, he slid in the Fire Lord ornament into the knot and stared at his reflection. His robes were long and heavy, much like the ones he wore for his coronation a year ago. The royal tailors had to adjust this set AGAIN because he grew another two inches since his last banquet, plus his shoulders keep broadening out from all of his training.

_Why do you train all the time?_

_You know the answer to that, dimwit._

After his conversation with Toph that morning, Zuko decided to go to the sparring arena to let off some steam. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't even wear himself out enough to consider himself calmed down. So instead he sulked to his room and prepared for the banquet that evening.

Delegates from all over the world were to be in attendance, mostly nobility and members of the invasion forces. Zuko was hoping to feel happy about the event, but instead all he felt was dread and a desire to get heavily drunk after he was done with his speech.

_The speech about love and hope and peace. It sounds like Katara wrote it._

_Is that a bad thing?_

His internal conflict was bugging him all morning and well into the afternoon. He felt like screaming at both voices in his head to just leave him alone until after the banquet, but he had a feeling that his servants would look at him like he was crazy. And he really didn't want them thinking he was anything like his father.

"I'm nothing like him," he whispered at his reflection.

"Nothing like who, my nephew?"

Zuko turned and saw Iroh standing in the doorway, dressed in his finest robes and his top knot adorned with the prince's crown. Zuko shook his head and smiled at his uncle, feigning contempt for the day.

"You look very handsome," Iroh smiled widely. "Trying to impress someone?"

"Yes," Zuko stated as he walked to his dresser to grab his written speech. "Everyone in the whole damn world."

"Lord Zuko, you already have."

Zuko bowed his head and sighed, "I just don't want to disappoint any more people than I already have. By throwing this banquet, I'm trying to prove that I won't."

"I don't think a little dinner party is going to solve that issue, my nephew."

"Well it's a start," he straightened up and headed to the door, which Iroh adamantly blocked off. "Uncle, what are you doing?"

"I'm just going to let you know that I care about you," Iroh sighed, "and you're worrying me. Can you let loose and have a little fun tonight? For your old uncle?"

Zuko chuckled and put his hand on Iroh's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "I plan to, Uncle. Now can we please go? I have to greet the guests as they arrive at the palace."

….

Katara felt pretty disappointed at her reflection. Her eyes had bags from her lack of sleep and her hair seemed duller, despite her best efforts to clean it. She just felt drab. Her head was starting to hurt from the amount of thinking she was putting herself through. It was actually starting to throb with every beat of her heart.

And it seemed like it was saying something to her. _Zuko. Or Aang. Zuko. Or Aang._

After about five minutes of that, she felt like ripping her hair out or breaking something so she could focus on that pain rather than the one she was feeling in her heart.

_I'm going to hurt someone in the end, no matter what. At the end of tonight, someone is going to be broken hearted. And for some reason, I feel like I will be, too. No matter who I hurt._

The memory of Zuko's face after he first saw Aang kissing her flashed through Katara's mind, making her cringe and her chest tighten. And then she imagined what Aang would look like if she broke his heart. For some reason, she thought it would be close to how he looked when Appa was stolen. And that just made Katara feel as if she was going to burst into tears.

_I can't do it. I can't hurt either one of them. _

_But you're hurting Aang by sneaking around with Zuko and lying to him about it._

_And you're hurting Zuko by staying with Aang and not giving him your full devotion._

Katara pressed the heel of her hand into her temple. The headache was starting to be more consistent instead of throbbing, but it still irked Katara by even bothering her tonight.

She stared at herself in the mirror one last time. Her wavy hair was pulled into a half-up bun, hair loopies dangling down instead of pulled back into the bun. She was wearing a strapless sky blue dress with a white sash around her waist. It was simple and form-fitting, making Katara look and feel like a woman. Her make-up was simple enough where it wouldn't need to be touched up constantly, which she was thankful for. She was trying her best to look good for the banquet, but didn't want to attract too much attention from the ever-inevitable crowd of male suitors, Avatar boyfriend or not.

A knock on her door jolted Katara out of her trance. She walked over and Suki was standing there in a dark green sleeveless kimono and a golden fan out, cooling her face. Her make-up was simple as well, a far cry from her normal Kyoshi garb.

"You look beautiful, Suki!" Katara gushed.

Suki looked Katara up and down and rose an eyebrow, "Not as good as you. Trying to impress someone?"

_Yes. _"No, just want to look nice for tonight," Katara lied. "This celebration is for us, isn't it?"

Suki nodded and turned around, heading for the main door. Sokka and Aang were already in the banquet hall, whereas Toph was sitting on one of the cushions, wearing a dress similar to the one she would wear back on the Beifong estate.

"Toph, you look very pretty," Katara smiled at the girl below her.

"Kiss ass," Toph muttered as she stood and headed to the door. "We ready to go?"

The other teens nodded and the three of them headed out of the door and made their way down to the banquet hall. The celebration was being held in the same room as Zuko's coronation dinner. But when the girls arrived in the room, the décor was very different than their last visit. Instead of the red and gold Fire Nation banners, streamers and curtains of all colors were placed strategically around the room. The colors of the Four Nations were donned on every table, along with a long table against the right wall covered with foods from all around the world. In the middle of the room was an empty area, which Katara could only assume was a dance floor.

The room was already buzzing with activity. Many guests were already helping themselves to the plethora of foods offered. Katara scanned the room for a familiar face, not spotting anyone until she saw Suki walk to the table at the back of the room next to the raised dais, where Sokka and Aang were both wolfing down their dinner. The girls approached the table, trying to avoid the eyes of the random guests.

Aang looked up and gulped when he saw the girls. He blushed as he looked at all of them, stopping on Toph on the end, "You all look beautiful."

Katara felt a little irritated about where his gaze settled, but she brushed it off. She smiled and sat politely to his left, "Thank you, Aang. You look handsome as well."

Aang was wearing his monk robes and his airbending master necklace. He honestly looked like a blast from the past. He smiled at Katara and grasped her hand, "Thanks, Katara."

Katara could hear Toph clear her throat and do something close to a 'hmph' and plop herself down on Katara's free side. Katara blushed and pulled her hand out of Aang's and folded it demurely in her lap. Aang looked thoroughly disappointed, but didn't say anything. After a minute of awkward silence, Aang stood and excused himself, heading towards the exit of the hall. Katara watched him with a puzzled look on her face.

_That was weird._

"Sweetness, you need to talk to him," Toph said after Aang left the room. Katara sighed and shook her head then decided to scan the room, looking for a particular firebender. After a few minutes of fruitless hunting, Katara slumped her shoulders and scoffed slightly. Toph noticed and nudged her in the shoulder, "He's around the corner. He'll come inside in a couple of minutes and make his speech."

"Why isn't he in here now?" Katara asked impatiently, causing Toph to raise an eyebrow.

"He's talking to Aang."

….

"When are you making your speech?" Aang asked the Fire Lord, twiddling his thumbs in front of his chest.

Zuko looked around the curtain into the banquet hall, pausing his scan of the room on the lovely waterbender at the head table. He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the Avatar, "Probably here in a few minutes. I want to make sure everyone is here before I start."

Aang nodded and joined Zuko as he watched the partiers inside.

"I need some advice."

"What's up?" Zuko said as he closed the curtain.

"Should I talk to Katara during the party so there can't be a scene?" Aang asked softly, like he was trying to shrink and disappear.

Zuko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Aang, I was your firebending sifu, not your relationship sifu. Perhaps you should just listen to your own gut and do what you think is right. I really can't help you with this."

_Not that I want to, anyway._

Aang nodded and took a deep breath, "Okay, I'm going back inside. See you in a minute?"

Zuko bowed and opened the curtain slightly to peer back inside. His eyes immediately rested on Katara as she talked to Suki across the table. The girls seemed pretty into their conversation, because once Aang approached them and tried to talk to Katara, she barely noticed and ignored him, much to Aang's dismay and Zuko's pleasure.

He smirked and decided it was about time to go in and make his speech. He took a psyching breath and loosened his shoulders. After a minute of prepping, he straightened his back and lifted his chin high as he pushed the curtain aside and strode into the banquet hall.

….

Katara didn't know Zuko had entered the hall until everyone had gone silent watching him walk up to the slightly raised dais at the head of the room. He was dressed in his finest robes, deep red and black embroidered with gold trim. His face was fierce and demanding, and he walked in like he owned the place. A master of his own domain. He was truly a king tonight. He stepped up on the dais and looked down at the party goers with a softened expression. He scanned the room and paused on her, his gold eyes locking on hers. He smirked and raised his gaze to the rest of the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming!" he started, voice booming over everyone. "Tonight, we celebrate the first year since the end of the Hundred Year War and the beginning of an era of peace and love. Though the war has left us broken, we all have beat the odds and come together as one. Balance has once again been restored and the people of all four nations are beginning to breathe easy, thanks to my friend Avatar Aang. I thank you all for your efforts to help restore and keep the peace within our world. And I would like to propose a toast to the group of heroes in front of me. Everyone in this room made a difference. And I thank you."

Zuko raised a goblet up high and the rest of the room followed, cheering and whooping as the toast was ended. Zuko took a large gulp and smiled as he lowered his glass, "Now! Eat, drink, and be merry. Tonight is the night to be happy!"

The crowd cheered again and began to socialize as Zuko stepped down from the dais. Katara tore her eyes away just as Aang leaned over and kissed her on her cheek. When he pulled away, he was smiling happily. Katara blushed and looked away slightly bashfully. When she looked back up, she saw an angry-looking Zuko towering over both of them.

….

_He just kissed her. _Zuko felt himself fuming.

_Why are you mad? She IS his girlfriend._

_Yes, but she was writhing around with ME last night. _

_I don't understand why you're getting mad. He's going to talk to her tonight. Maybe they'll break up and you can swoop in all Prince Charming and what-not._

_I need a drink._

Zuko ended up at the table, standing over Aang and glaring down at Katara, who was blushing at the recent kiss. _Calm down, Zuko. Put on a happy face._ He leaned over so Aang would see him and the young airbender looked up and grinned at his friend.

"ZUKO!" he jumped up out of his seat, almost head butting the Fire Lord on the way up, "Great speech!"

"Thanks, Aang."

"Yeaph," Sokka added with a mouthful of food, "Waph to go, Fffire Lord."

Zuko stared incredulously at Sokka and Suki and Katara both groaned at his behavior. Zuko shook his head and took his seat at the head of the table, taking a nice gulp of his rice wine and wiping his lips with the back of his wrist. He looked over at Katara across from him and she darted her eyes elsewhere.

_She's going to avoid me all night. _

Zuko scoffed and decided to stand. He made his way over to the drink table and took a bottle of Sake and poured himself a shot. After downing the liquid, he felt a tap on his elbow. He looked down and saw Toph standing behind him, arms crossed.

"You going to share?"

"Maybe the next bottle," he said after taking another shot. He already felt his head swimming with the alcohol. _Note to self: don't drink on an empty stomach._

Toph giggled, "Fire Lord can't hold his liquor?"

Zuko blinked, "No, Fire Lord CAN. Fire Lord just didn't eat anything today. Because SOMEONE took the Fire Lord's apple."

"Smooth."

"Shush," he snapped playfully. "I'll throw you."

"Oh try me, Sparky!" She lowered into a fighting pose.

Zuko laughed and took another shot and shook his head, "Sorry, sweetie but I have to SOCIALIZE."

"Sweetie?" Toph giggled, "Don't get ahead of yourself Sparky. I thought you had a thing for Sugar Queen."

He smirked, "Oh I do. Very much so. But I have appearances to make. And I have to make it look like I'm at least ATTEMPTING to find a wife. Hopefully the nobles think I'm flirting with you."

Toph laughed and winked at him, "I'm too good for you and you know it, Fire Lord."

He joined in her laughter and wrapped one arm around her shoulder. He poured another shot and handed it to her, and she knocked it back with ease. Shocked, he took the saucer and poured himself a fourth shot and drank it as well.

"You drink like a girl," Toph said as she pulled away and walked towards the table. Zuko watched her sit next to Katara, who was deep in conversation with Aang, whose expression looked strained. Zuko took a deep breath and tried to look away but he couldn't.

_This is it. They're-_

"Fire Lord Zuko?" a sultry voice from his left purred. Zuko turned and saw a shorter girl looking up at him over the rim of a golden fan. She was wearing a fancy red robe and her eyes were heavy with make-up. Her black hair was done up in an elaborate bun with ornaments hanging from the sides.

"Yes?"

"I'm Chen, Councilman Kuron's daughter," she stated to him. Zuko felt almost violated right now. Her eyes were practically undressing him, which made him feel real uncomfortable. He sparred a glance over at Katara, who had looked up at him, a jealous look in her eye. Zuko smirked and returned his gaze to Chen.

"Hello, Chen," he nodded slightly. "Would you like something to drink?"

She giggled and nodded, "Yes, please. Thank you, my Lord."

She took his extended arm and he led her to the drink table. He was feeling particularly bold. And if Katara was going to be spending her night with someone else, so was he.

….

"Katara? Can we talk?" Aang said lowly over the buzzing of the crowd around them. She turned and faced him head on.

"Yeah, Aang," she smiled. "What's up?"

He took a deep breath and his shoulder's tensed, "I wanted to apologize about last night. I should have asked you before I tried that stuff with you."

Katara rose an eyebrow and giggled a little, "It's alright, Aang. I forgive you-"

"I'm not finished."

His face had gotten tense, almost strained. He had gone from bashful to serious in a matter of seconds. _And I thought Zuko was a whirlwind of emotions._

"I wanted to know why you pushed me away."

Katara froze, "I… Uh…"

She looked around and locked eyes with the Fire Lord across the hall, who had taken up talking to a shorter girl in red robes. The girl was practically raping him with her eyes, and Katara felt her temper flare.

"Are you not attracted to me?"

"What?"

"I said 'are you not attracted to me?' Because if you're not, I don't want to be wasting my time waiting around for you to think you would do something more than hold my hand," Aang's voice rose a little with his frustration, causing a few heads in the immediate vicinity to look in their direction. Including Sokka, Suki, and Toph, who had recently sat down.

"Aang, I don't know," Katara whispered.

"What don't you know?!"

"I don't know if I am," she snapped. "You can't force these things on me. You're barely fourteen. You shouldn't be even thinking about doing more than kissing me!"

Aang's face turned a little red, "Well you're sixteen. You SHOULD be thinking about these things! Guys are asking your father for your hand in marriage. The only thing stopping them is me. Is that why you're keeping me around? So you don't have to get married?"

"No! That's not it, Aang!"

"So what is it?" Aang was almost shouting.

"I-"

"Aang, Katara," Toph cut in between them, "maybe this should be discussed later. Twinkle Toes, why don't you come with me?"

Aang shot a disgusted look at Katara as he rose and followed Toph out of the banquet hall. Katara slumped in her chair and reached over and grabbed Zuko's half full goblet of rice wine. She chugged the liquid in one gulp and felt it burn down her throat.

"Easy there, tigerdillo," Sokka said. Katara glared at him and then stood to get some food. She was looking around for Zuko, who had somehow ditched the red robe girl. Then she spotted him talking to King Bumi next to a rock sculpture of what Katara could only guess was a mix of all of the elements. When she approached, she heard them discussing it.

"I think it is quite marvelous, King Bumi," Zuko said with an uncharacteristic inflection. "But I would like to say that the lack of representation of air in the statue could cause Aang to get upset."

"Well that's the great part!" Bumi cackled, "There is air IN the statue!"

"But if that was your theory, wouldn't that mean that the fire and water should be represented with their respectable element, not earth?"

"You make a good point, Fire Lord Zuko," Bumi's half open eye spotted Katara, "Master Katara! Could you come over here?"

Zuko turned and stared at Katara with hooded lids and a goofy smirk. _He's been drinking. That explains it._ She nodded and approached the duo.

"What can I help you with, King Bumi?"

"Well, Fire Lord Zuko and I were discussing this statue I just made," he said as he gestured the stone in front of them, "and we both believe that all of the elements should be properly represented instead of just carved in the stone. I was wondering if you would do me the honor of contributing some ice to this here sculpture."

Katara giggled and covered her mouth, noticing Zuko was staring at her far too much. "I'd love to, King Bumi. But what I would like to say is that if all of them were to be carved in the stone, then the art would last a lot longer. If you were to actually have all of the elements together, the fire and water would create steam and the air would just float away, leaving just earth. Meaning you win over all of us."

Bumi cackled again and patted her on her back, "Good point my dear. ALL STONE IT IS!"

He rose his hands and the stone was morphed into a cyclone of four spirals, circling around each other and reaching one point at the top. Each element was extremely detailed: the earth's ridges, the water's ripples, the air's swirls, and the fire's tendrils, all twirling around each other in an infinite dance. Katara was stunned at the majestic beauty of it and when she turned to face Zuko, she sobered quickly. His face was contorted in extreme concentration, like he was having an epiphany or some sort of internal conflict.

"Zuko?"

He flinched and looked at her and smiled, "Yes, milady?"

_Oh he's doing that now?_

"You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he turned and bowed to Bumi. "This statue is magnificent. I think it would be a great addition to my garden."

"Thank you, Fire Lord Zuko. I'm glad you appreciate it," Bumi said as he returned the bow. He straightened and walked over to Iroh and Pakku, pulling out a piece of jennamite out of his pocket. Katara grinned at him and then turned to Zuko, who was already staring at her.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to dance?" he asked suddenly.

"Sure," she replied with a smile. He grasped her hand and led her to the dance floor, twirling her around before he pulled her into his body and grasping her waist. She giggled and placed one hand on his shoulder as he swayed them to the music.

"You look stunning tonight," he murmured to her.

She blushed and looked away, "Thank you. You look handsome as well."

He smirked and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "You should see how I look underneath."

He pulled away, his face smug and eyes narrowed.

"Fire Lord Zuko, are you trying to seduce me?"

"Is it working?"

She shook her head as he turned them again, "Perhaps you should be more subtle. Especially with people watching."

He looked over her head at the crowd around them, "No one is paying attention to us. Besides, we're friends. No one suspects otherwise."

"Toph does," Katara mumbled.

"Well Toph's powers of perception are frightening," Zuko replied with a smile.

Katara laughed as Zuko dipped her low. When he pulled her back up, she felt lightheaded. They continued swaying and turning to the music. After about an hour of dancing, switching partners, and twirling on the dance floor, Zuko and Katara retired to their table. Sokka and Suki had already left and Toph and Aang never returned.

Zuko had grabbed another Sake bottle and took a few shots during their dances. Now he was wobbling and almost falling over. Luckily, he hid his inebriation from the majority of guests. Once they sat down, he laughed loud and almost dropped his head on the table.

"The roooooom is spinning!" he squeaked. Katara couldn't help but laugh heartily at her friend, but her mothering instincts came in.

"Zuko, I think it's time to put you to bed."

He turned at her and pulled his attempt at a seductive face, "Will you be joining me, milady?"

She shook her head and helped him to his feet. He snickered at her wrapping her arm around his waist and he bent down and breathed on her bare neck.

"Does that tickle?" he purred.

"Zuko let's just get you in bed," she said, feeling a little irritated. They walked down the corridor and ended up at his room in a very short time. His guards parted quickly and they entered. As soon as the door was closed, Zuko whirled around and pinned Katara against the wall.

"I can't believe I didn't continue last night," he growled, staring in her eyes. She gulped and shook her head.

"It was right for you to. Aang and I are still together. It would be wrong to do these things when I'm technically still his girlfriend."

Zuko stilled and pulled away, his eyes downcast and his eyebrow scrunched in confusion, "So… you didn't break up?"

"No… I don't know. We only fought. I don't even know what we are."

Zuko nodded and turned towards his bed. He pulled his robes and shoulder décor over his head and laid them on the chair next to his closet. He stumbled over his feet and fell on the floor as he tried to pull off his boots. He was laughing hysterically with his legs up in the air. Katara strode over and laid across his bed in order to look down at his figure on the floor. He opened his eyes and stared at her, his laughter calming and now he was breathing heavily. He sat up so he was kneeling in front of her and they were nose to nose.

"I think you should get in bed, Zuko," she whispered after a moment of silence. He frowned and stood up, pulling his shirt off and throwing it across the room. She got up off of his bed and stood at the edge as he crawled under the blankets. She walked around and stood by his head and brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"Katara…"

"Hmmm?"

"Why are you so good to me?" his voice hoarse and barely a whisper.

She sat on the edge of the bed and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. Because I care about you."

"But not like you care about Aang."

"No! I care about you differently," she reassured him by cupping his cheek.

He shook his head out of her grasp and looked past her at the wall, "Then why did you pick him?"

Katara stilled and frowned. She had never really put much thought into it. She had picked Aang because he kissed her after he got back from his fight with Ozai. But that's not it.

"Because you chose Mai."

He grimaced and sat up, staring at her severely, "I picked her because I saw YOU kissing HIM. I thought you didn't want me, so I decided to go to someone who did. And she figured out she was just my second choice. So she left me. SHE left ME because I was leaving unsent letters for you in my dresser drawers. She didn't want to be the safety net. Don't you get it, Katara? I love you. I always have. Is that not enough?!"

Her heart fluttered in her chest, and her stomach clenched in anticipation. Her throat was tight and her hands were sweating. She tried not to smile, but also not to frown. Keeping a straight face was her best tool right now. She stood and shook her head back and forth violently, fists balled at her sides and tears falling down her face.

"Zuko, you can't say things like that and expect me to just fawn over you."

"I'm not just saying it to say it. I mean it!" he shouted. "Has Aang even told you that he loves you? He obviously doesn't act like it. You're just some prize to be won with him. A conquest. You were there from the beginning and he thinks he deserves you. To him, the hero should get the girl, even if he doesn't deserve her. But honestly, YOU deserve better than someone who throws your life to the side for his own and expects you to be okay with it."

Katara was starting to cry harder, "Stop it."

"No!" He was standing now and he grabbed her hands and pressed them against the scar on his stomach, "I did this for YOU. I would go to the ends of the Earth for you."

Katara pulled her hands out of his and backed away. He looked at her like she just slapped him, tears starting to fall down his face as well.

"You can't say things like that to me when I'm with another man," she whispered.

"One that you don't love."

"But I care about him, and if he knew I was in here right now, regardless of our fight, it would kill him!" she cried.

"FINE!" he yelled back at her, "LEAVE! Get out of my sight!"

He laid back down on his bed and threw the blankets over his head. Katara could see his shoulders shaking with sobs. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Just leave me. You obviously are going to pick him. Save me the trouble of getting my hopes up and just get out of my room," he whispered hoarsely. She recoiled her hand and backed up, tears threatening to cascade down her face again.

She turned and rushed to the door. She flung it open and closed it gently behind her. When she faced forward, she was staring straight into the red-rimmed and glassy eyes of Aang.


	13. Broken

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it.

**Chapter 11: Broken**

She turned and rushed to the door. She flung it open and closed it gently behind her. When she faced forward, she was staring straight into the red-rimmed and glassy eyes of Aang.

"Aang… I-"

"What were you doing in Zuko's room, Katara?" he whispered, eyes focused on hers.

"He was drunk and I was helping him get in bed, Aang," she muttered with an edge in her voice. "Nothing happened."

Aang narrowed his eyes and a scowl formed on his childish features, "Then why does it look like you've been crying?"

"Like I said," she stepped forward to pass him, "nothing happened."

He stuck out his arm in front of her and held her back. The look in his eyes was borderline angry, with a hint of discomfort. He kept staring at her, like he was trying to figure out what to say.

"Why did I hear yelling?"

"We weren't yelling."

"I don't need Toph around to know you're lying," he spat. His face was tilting more to the angry side, now. His scowl deepened and Katara could have sworn he was trembling.

"Aang-"

"You're fucking him, aren't you?"

Katara grimaced at his uncharacteristic language and shook her head back and forth, "No! We're just friends! I'm with you!"

"But you danced with him tonight. And you left with him tonight," he growled. His grip on her shoulder had tightened and she knew that tomorrow it was going to be bruised if he kept this up.

"Like I said, he's a friend," she hissed lowly, prying his hands off of her. "You and I had a fight. That's why I spent the banquet with him. You were off with Toph doing La knows what and I decided to have a good time. With my _friend!_"

Aang's cheeks were red and his fists were clenched in hard fists at his sides, "I see the way he looks at you!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Aang scoffed and laughed mockingly, "You must be stupid if you don't. He lusts after you. He just wants your body. He may act like he cares about you, but he just wants to conquer you. You know how he gets when he gets his sights on something. He won't quit."

Katara was stunned into silence for a minute and almost laughed at the irony that Zuko had said the same thing about Aang just minutes before. But then her temper rose as she practically shouted at him, "You don't even know what you're talking about! Unlike with _YOU, _Aang, I can talk to him. He's there for me for everything. He likes me for who I am, flaws and all. Not like you, who has me on a pedestal, expecting me to be this perfect image of what you built me up to be. Have you even thought about what _I _want, not what you want me to want?"

Aang's eyes narrowed even more and he spoke with a dangerously calm tone, "We've always wanted the same thing. With the war over, we can spread the peace even more-"

"Maybe I want to be in the same spot for longer than a week, Aang."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before agreeing to be my girlfriend. You know what my job entails. I'm the Avatar and it's my duty to maintain balance. If you want to stay in one place, be my guest."

Katara glared at him with disgust, "I just think _you _should have thought about what I want in life for once. You haven't even noticed how unhappy I've been. Zuko noticed the _moment _he first saw me on Ember Island. You're so ignorant about our problems. You're blinder than Toph when it comes to us."

Aang's cheeks reddened even more and he practically yelled at her, "You should be telling me these things! I can't just guess when you have an issue!"

"I tried!" she cried. "You just didn't listen!"

"I'm listening now!" he spat. "And frankly, it's like I'm talking to a completely different person."

"Well, if you paid attention more to me than the hog monkeys you were riding, you would have noticed sooner that I _am _a different person than the one that fought in the war with you," she sighed, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "And you would have noticed that we fell out of love a long time ago, too."

Aang blanched and froze, staring at Katara with anguish with a gaping mouth. After a minute of silence from both parties, Aang whipped out his air scooter and sped down the corridor. Katara stared with grief in the direction he fled, tears escaping her already raw eyes and falling freely down her cheeks. She sniffed and turned to face Zuko's door, but jumped when she saw the guards.

"I'm sorry you guys had to see that," she whispered as she wiped the fallen tears off of her skin.

"It's okay, milady," the guard on the left replied. "Do you need an escort back to your suite?"

She chuckled sadly and shook her head, "I'll be fine. Thank you, though."

Both guards bowed as Katara turned away and headed down the hallway. Once she reached their door, she felt incredibly numb. She turned the handle and entered the dark room. It wasn't even that late, seeming the moon was still high in the sky. But Katara didn't care. She sulked to her room and let herself in. When she slipped off her dress, she ignored the chill in her room and crawled under her silk covers nude. She didn't care. And for the first time in a long time, she cried herself to sleep as the images of both Aang's and Zuko's heartbroken faces from tonight flew around her mind.

….

Zuko rose with the sun with a killer headache. Memories from the previous night repeated in his mind's eye, focusing on how he held Katara, then screamed at her to leave him, breaking his heart again. He moaned as he rolled over and he pressed his hands to his head trying to fend off the pain in his aching noggin. He opened his eyes reluctantly and after they adjusted to the dawn light, he spotted on his nightstand a scroll tied with a purple ribbon. Ignoring the pain, he jumped up and ripped the fabric off and unrolled the letter, scanning the characters. His head swam and he blinked a couple times before rereading the message.

"_Fire Lord Zuko,_

_It's time."_

Confused, Zuko looked around his room, focusing on his windows and the door to the balcony. All were closed and still locked. He rose and strode to the door in four bounds. He swung it open and addressed the guards outside.

"Did anyone come into my room last night?"

The guard on his right turned his head slightly and bowed it, "No, my Lord. Other than you and Master Katara."

Zuko flinched at the mention of her name. Hesitantly, he asked, "What time did she leave?"

The guard on the left answered, "About five minutes after you two arrived, sire. Then she and Avatar Aang had a discussion in the hall. After he left, she made her way to her room."

Zuko nodded and retreated back into the room. He inspected the windows and balcony door again. The locks were still in place and the clothes from last night that were in front of the door weren't moved. He knew all of the secret passages to the room had been closed and sealed the day he moved into this suite. Was that note there when he and Katara came in last night? _No because she was sober enough to have noticed it and would have said something._

He growled and ran his hands through his loose hair, pulling it slightly. He confessed his feelings to her and she pushed him away. _Fan-FUCKING-tastic. She probably hates me now. Especially since I practically tried to get her to break up with Aang._

Then he paused and thought harder for a moment. Then he raced to the door and whipped it open.

"What kind of 'discussion' did Master Katara and Avatar Aang have?" he asked breathlessly to the guards.

"Sir, I don't think it's our place-"

"Just answer the question," he growled lowly in his 'Fire Lord' voice.

The guard on the left answered, "It was an argument, my Lord. He ran off shortly after. Would you like us to send someone for him?"

Zuko scoffed, "No, that won't be necessary. However, send someone to get my Uncle for tea in my study in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, sir," both guards answered as they bowed. Zuko shut the door and pulled on some of his casual clothes, ones almost identical to the ones he wore before the comet. As he stared in the mirror, he grinned at the nostalgia and decided to rummage through his dresser. He removed all of the contents of the top drawer and reached in, pulling away the false bottom. Underneath were about twenty scrolls, all tied with red ribbons. He pushed those aside to reveal the shirt and vest he wore when he dueled Azula, the burn hole in the center fraying. His blood still stained the fabric, as did a couple specks of white.

Katara's tears.

A knock on the door made Zuko jump. He shoved the shirt back next to the scrolls and covered them with the false bottom. Another knock and he tossed the clothes chaotically back into the drawer and shut it. He strode to the door after a third knock and swung it open.

Before he could speak, a knife was thrusted into his chest, right where his lightning scar was. He choked on his own blood as it pooled his mouth slowly.

"Wh… Who are you?" he sputtered.

The assailant twisted the knife and Zuko cried out in agony and crumpled to the ground. He watch as the assailant knelt down in front of him and pushed the hair out of his eyes. His vision was starting to go black as a stinging pain started radiating through his chest, centralizing at his wound and slowly flowing through the rest of his body. _Poison._

She whispered in a clear alto. "I'm your worst nightmare."

He went to open his mouth but she gripped his hair and slammed his head into the floor, knocking him unconscious in a pool of his own blood.

…..

A barrage of banging on her door shocked Katara out of her fitful sleep. She jumped out of under her covers and leapt to the door, swinging open to an exasperated Sokka.

"SHIT!" he screeched as he covered his eyes. "COVER UP, KATARA!"

She looked down and blushed furiously as she realized she was nude. She scrambled for her robe on the edge of the chair next to her door and threw it on. After recovering, she approached the door.

"What is it, Sokka?" she asked as calmly as she could.

He turned and uncovered his eyes, which were wide in fear, "It's Zuko."

Katara twitched and frowned as she crossed her arms, "What about him?"

"He's hurt," Sokka replied with dread shaking his voice.

Katara's eye's opened wide, "What happened? Where is he?"

Sokka shook his head and pushed her back into her room, "Get dressed and we'll all talk out in the sitting area. We still haven't found Aang and Toph is still asleep. Hurry."

Katara jumbled around her room, throwing on a blue tunic. She pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and slipped on her flats. She raced out of the room and spotted a terrified Suki sitting next to Sokka on the floor, across the table from a half-awake Toph.

"What's going on?" Katara asked nervously.

Sokka bowed his head and grasped it in between his hands, shaking it back and forth, "Someone stabbed Zuko this morning."

Katara and Toph both gasped.

"The blade was poisoned," Suki added as she rubbed Sokka's back. "Iroh was the one who found him and his two guards down. The men were just knocked out but Zuko was lying in a pool of his own blood."

Katara started to cry. She raced to the main door and pulled it open, "Where is he?"

"The infirmary," Sokka replied softly. Katara didn't wait for anyone to follow her. She sprinted to the other side of the palace, bypassing servants and guards, who all stared at her as she sped by. She ignored the people trying to stop her and she even pushed her own father out her way as she neared the sanatorium.

She pushed through the doors and looked around hurriedly, spotting a nurse carrying a bowl of water and some rags.

"Fire Lord Zuko!" Katara asked as she stopped the nurse and shook her shoulders. "Where is he?!"

The nurse nodded and motioned Katara to follow. The woman was going far too slow for Katara's liking, but they still reached Zuko's door pretty quickly. The guards stepped aside and let the two women in. When Katara spotted him, she almost broke down in tears. His skin was ghostly white and his normally pink lips were pale. He was wrapped in bandages much like he had been after the lightning attack. The bandages were red with his blood centralizing right where his scar was.

She rushed to his side and knelt by the bed, grasping his hand and bawling into his still palm. He didn't even flinch.

"Master Katara?" a voice asked. Katara lifted her head and looked at the stranger. He was wearing the typical garb of a palace doctor, simple red robes with a gold collar.

"We got the majority of the poison out," he started without her prompting. "But he wound is pretty deep. I was informed that you're a healer?"

She nodded and sniffed, "Get me plenty of clean water."

He bowed and left the room, ordering around some of the nurses as he left. Katara turned back to Zuko and the tears started falling again. Even in his sleep, his face was pained. He was in pure agony.

The doctor returned with a basin of water and placed it on the table to Katara's left. He slowly removed the bandages from Zuko's chest and stepped away, letting Katara assess the damage. The area surrounding the puncture wound was puckering and swollen, making his scar look even redder. The veins were red and spreading out and away from the wound, slightly blending in towards his stomach and his collarbone, across his pecs and down his sides. Katara quickly gloved her hands with the water and placed them on the wound. She sensed how deep it went and grimaced. She poured her chi into his body, slowly stitching up the hole, much like she had just a year ago. She laughed quietly to herself at the coincidence.

Then she felt it. There was still some poison in his blood. It was somewhere around his neck and heading up into his brain. She guided her watery hands to his jugular and tried to coax the poison away and back to the open wound in his chest. It was barely budging.

_What would I give for it to be a full moon so I could bloodbend this out?!_

She shook her head and kept trying to force the poison down. _I can't move it much more. I need to create a closer hole._

"Doctor!" she shouted over her shoulder. The man approached and bowed. "I need a scapula."

"Yes of course."

She turned back to Zuko and willed the poison more towards his chest. She kept it in place right below his collarbone. The doctor handed her the scapula and she sliced his skin right below her hands, much to her disgust and objection from the medical staff around her.

She felt the poison again and pulled it through the lesion. The black substance mixed with the water surrounding her hands, also mixing with Zuko's blood. Once the last of the liquid was expelled, she discarded it in a spare bowl a nurse procured for her. Katara grabbed another wisp of clean water and placed it over the fresh laceration and sealed it quickly. She moved back to the stab wound and closed it as well, pouring all of her energy into fixing him.

_I'll do whatever I can to prevent this from being a scar._

The memory of the night he saved her flashed through her mind, causing her to tear up as she grasped his hand again. She laid her head on the bed next to his prone body. She stroked his knuckles with her thumb and prayed to every God she could think of that he would wake up.

"Thank you, Master Katara," the doctor said softly after a few minutes. She shook her head but kept it down. She waited for him to speak again but all she heard was the swishing of fabric as he and the nurses left the room, leaving Katara alone with Zuko.

She lifted her head and stared at him, tears swimming in her vision, "I'm so sorry, Zuko. I wish I could have helped you sooner."

She reached with her free hand and pushed the hair out of his face and cupped his right cheek. She started to sob when she felt his cold skin. His breathing was ragged and is pulse was weak.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered through her sobs, "I shouldn't have left you last night. I should have stayed with you and told you I loved you. Because I do. I love you so much. I love you so much that it hurts. Especially now as I'm watching you die. Please, don't leave me. You promised you wouldn't."

She started crying harder now, "You promised."

….


	14. Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. Seriously, twelve chapters. I think you guys get the point.

**Chapter 12: Pain**

"Zuko?"

A groan escaped his lips. He couldn't move, his body wasn't even budging to his will. He moaned when his eyes finally obeyed. He was surrounded by white.

"Zuko, you need to stay down."

He closed his eyes and sighed, trying to figure out what happened. Then, he shot his eyes open. He was stabbed. And poisoned. He tried to sit up again but it felt as if his body was weighted down to the ground.

"Zuko stop struggling, it won't help you. Believe me."

He looked around and spotted Hera kneeling at his right. This wasn't like the Hera that had visited him in his dreams. This was the purple-eyed Hera, dressed in all black with her gold sash. Her eyes were narrowed and she had a slight frown on her full lips.

"Hera-"

"I can't help you."

"Then why are you here?" he growled.

"I was planning on telling you on what _could _help you," she spat. "But seeming you're being so impatient, I can just leave."

"No!" he tried reaching for her as she stood, but still couldn't move any of his limbs. She smirked and sat back down, then brushed his hair away from his forehead. He focused on her eyes and whispered, "Why are your eyes purple again?"

She donned a mischievous look and chuckled, "Didn't Katara tell you? Or are you guys already at each other's throats?"

"Why would Katara tell me why a figment of my imagination had gold eyes in one dream and then purple eyes in the second?"

"Oh this isn't a dream, Zuko," she murmured, leaning down and tickling his face with her breath.

"What do you mean?"

"You're in the Spirit World."

He gasped and froze, well even more. His stomach filled with dread and his blood froze. He fought for words, "So… I-I'm d-dead?"

She laughed lightly and shook her head, "People can unwillingly come to the Spirit World, Zuko. You're here mainly for a negotiation."

"Negotiation?"

"Yes, Moradoz would like to offer you something."

"No."

She pouted, "You didn't even here the offer."

"I don't need to," he growled. "I know the consequences of bartering with Spirits."

She chuckled and sat up, then swung her legs around his body so she was straddling his hips. Zuko could hardly contain a yelp when she plopped down and grinded on his manhood. She leaned forward and whispered in his good ear.

"Even if you got this?" she purred.

"You're a spirit," he murmured back. "And I have Katara."

She sat up and pressed her weight down, causing him to flinch. She clicked her tongue and shook her head, "Last I checked, she walked out on you last night. And now you're dying slowly in a hospital bed, no one there to help you. That assassin did her job well. She even somehow got into your room without being detected and without any stealth training. I was impressed."

"What are you talking about, Hera?"

"Well we had to get you here somehow," she hummed. "Moradoz wants you. And he's willing to save you from certain death, if you agree to his offer."

Zuko narrowed his eyes, "What is this offer?"

Hera tapped her chin and looked up, "Hmmm… I think it was along the lines of 'let him help you rule the Fire Nation properly and he'll keep you from dying.'"

Zuko tried again to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his chest. Hera looked down quizzically but shrugged her shoulders.

"Is that how you survived after Azula threw the rock at you and you almost drowned?"

Hera grinned, "You're smarter than you let on, Fire Lord. Yes. He saw strength in me and offered to help me. He told me that he looked in my future and saw that I was going to be Fire Lady, so he wanted to help me out. Azula didn't tell you is that he spoke to me, too."

Zuko scowled. He tried again to move, his arms budged but the pain in his chest shocked his body, causing him to growl in pain. Hera laughed, this time her voice deeper.

"Fire Lord Zuko," she said in this new deep voice. Her eyes practically glowed as she stared down at him. "Your life is fading. I am willing to make you a deal-"

"No," Zuko spat.

"Perhaps you aren't listening," Hera grabbed his chest and twisted the wound, causing Zuko to cry out. "I am willing to spare your life. You just need to say 'yes' and you will be healed."

"No!" Zuko breathed out between pants. Hera squeezed tighter. "Never!"

Hera clicked her tongue and shook her head, "Your mistake, my friend."

She stood and stepped away from Zuko's shaking body. He was trembling with pain, practically screaming in agony. He slowly was able to lift his hand and clenched his chest wound, which was slick with blood. Hera smiled deviously down at him and chuckled.

"Well, Zuko," she whispered, "I guess we'll be spending a lot of time together now. Get comfortable, sweetie."

Zuko watched as she turned and walked away and blended into the white haze that surrounded him. He was gasping for breath, trying to stop the pain in his chest. He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes closed, hoping that for once he could will himself out of this nightmare.

….

Katara didn't leave his side at all that day, despite the objections from the hospital staff and her friends. She kept grasping his hand and staring at him, willing him awake. She cried when he flinched in pain and slept when he stilled, not relinquishing her hold on his hand.

"Katara," Suki said behind her, "it's been two days since you've eaten. I brought you some komodo chicken."

Suki sat in a chair next to Katara and offered her the tray of food, which Katara just shook her head and pushed the tray away.

"I won't eat until he wakes up," Katara whispered.

"I don't want to be negative, but what if that doesn't happen?"

Katara started crying again and rested her head on the edge of the bed, "He can't. He promised."

Suki rubbed Katara's back in soothing circles, "I know he did, honey. And he's a fighter. He won't give up."

"I know..."

"I also wanted to come by and update you on what they found out," Suki stated after a few moments.

Katara lifted her head and stared at Suki with agonized eyes.

Suki continued, "They found a scroll on his nightstand and a purple ribbon next to it. It wasn't signed, but it's pretty interesting. There aren't any signs of tampering in his room so either someone from his staff put it in there during the day or it appeared out of thin air."

"Purple ribbon?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Hera's scrolls used to be sealed with a purple ribbon... No one else did that," Katara muttered, furrowing her brow. _How does Hera fit into this?_

_"_That's not all. They found the assassin. It was some girl named Chen," Suki added. "She's pleading ignorance, saying she blacked out at some point in time over night and woke up in the morning holding the knife and covered with blood. Her father is on Zuko's council and was trying to cover it up. Iroh thinks it might be a plot to take the throne, seeming the man was trying to force Chen on Zuko for the past two months."

"Was she the one talking to him at the banquet?" Katara inquired softly.

"I think so," Suki replied. "But the girl has no idea how she got there or how it all happened. She's scared beyond belief. Toph says she isn't lying, so we really don't know what could be going on."

Katara thought deeply for a moment, "I don't know either, Suki."

She took a deep breath and turned back to the still man in the bed. She stood up and stared down at him with confusion. His bandages were starting to soak through with blood.

"That's not possible," she whispered as she pressed her hands against the blood, pulling away to feel the sticky liquid between her fingers. "I healed the wound. It can't be bleeding…"

Katara opened the bandages and she and Suki were both shocked at the sight. Five lines, twisting around the lightning scar and rotating towards the pink line from the stab.

"How did… that happen?" Suki asked.

"He's in the Spirit World," a voice replied from behind them. The girls turned and saw Aang standing in the doorway, leaning against his staff and staring with sad eyes at his friend in the hospital bed. He walked in and sat on the opposite side of the bed and sat slowly. He stared at Zuko for a moment then turned to Katara and Suki, "Any injuries you sustain in the Spirit World appear on your body. Something is keeping him there. That also would explain the assassin. She probably got possessed by a spirit and it forced its will on her."

Katara sat up straight, "Moradoz."

Aang looked at her with confusion, "The Purple Spirit? How do you know about him?"

Katara looked at Suki and then back at Aang, then lastly settling her gaze on Zuko, "He was the reason Hera had purple eyes and purple fire. He had taken control of Azula as well. I think he's trying to take Zuko, too."

Tears started escaping her eyes again and she hastily wiped them away. Aang leaned back in his chair, staring at Zuko and pondering quietly to himself. Suki stood up and excused herself, saying she was going to talk to Sokka and Iroh about the situation.

"Katara," Aang started, "he's in danger. This Moradoz isn't going to stop until he gets his prize. We need to help him."

Katara looked back at the Avatar and frowned sadly, "How? He's in the Spirit World, according to you. And only you can go. And I don't think you really want to save him, considering what you said to me the other night."

Aang scowled and crossed his arms across his chest, "He's still my friend. And I have my Avatar duties. I have to save him."

"But-"

A groan escaped Zuko's lips and his left arm moved and clutched his chest wound, pressing the blood through his fingers. Both Aang and Katara stared in wonder and exchanged looks of confusion. Zuko complained again, moaning out loud as he writhed in pain. The two benders held him down as he writhed in pain, gasping out and screaming in agony.

"Katara," Aang struggled with keeping Zuko still, "You need to heal him. Now!"

Katara nodded and whipped out some of the water from the bowl on the bed-side table. She gloved her hands and focused them on the bleeding gashes in his skin. Immediately, Zuko stilled and began calming down, moans still escaping through labored breaths. After a few minutes, he calmed and his breathing became normal.

"That was… weird," Aang said after plopping back down in his chair. Katara nodded but kept her eyes on Zuko's face, which was now covered with a sheen of sweat. She bent the liquid off his skin and discarded it into the blanket. Aang stared at the exchange and sighed, "You really care about him, don't you?"

Katara tore her eyes away from Zuko's still form and locked eyes with the boy across the bed from her. She sighed and nodded, "I didn't realize it at first. I guess I always did, I just thought I was supposed to be with you. And he's always cared about me. Since the beginning."

"Even when he tied you to a tree?" Aang chuckled.

"I supposed so," Katara smiled. She squeezed Zuko's hand and looked back at him. "He jumped in front of a lightning bolt to save me. And he said he would do it a hundred times over if it meant I was okay."

"I never knew…"

"Well you sort of beat him to the punch," Katara chuckled nervously.

Aang rose an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"When you kissed me after the comet passed," she stated.

He nodded his head and looked at his friend guiltily, "So he wasn't just looking at us like that because we woke him up."

"No," Katara sighed. "It's because it broke his heart to see me taken away from him."

Aang bowed his head and frowned, "I'm sorry. I was being selfish. I thought that you deserved to be with me. Because of all we went through. I was blind to your feelings and I should have been paying attention to them. And mine, too."

He looked up at her with a sad smile and sighed, "I ignored the feelings I've been feeling lately, thinking it was just a phase."

Katara looked at him quizzically, "What do you mean?"

"You know how I left with Toph during the banquet?"

"Yeah…"

"Well…"

Katara opened her eyes wide and stared at him, "Did you…?"

"Oh!" Aang shook his head, "No she just told me that I needed to think about things more clearly. She told me that you were starting to look elsewhere for the attention I wasn't giving you. And that I needed to be with someone who cared about me in the way I deserved."

Katara nodded once and hummed, "I think she might have been hinting at herself."

"She was," Aang sighed. "When I went back to the banquet to talk to you, Sokka told me you left with Zuko and for some reason, what Toph told me bounced around my head. That's why I got so mad. I just didn't want to believe it.

"And the past few days have opened my eyes. I do love you, Katara. But like a sister. I see the way you look at Zuko and it's so much more than how you used to look at me. It made me realize that you never loved me the way you love him. And for some reason, it's a relief."

Katara exhaled and smiled sadly at Aang. He returned the smile and stood.

"I'm going to talk to Iroh. See what we can do about this."

Katara nodded and looked back at Zuko, whose face was scrunching in pain again.

"Katara?"

She turned and faced Aang as he leaned against the doorframe, "Keep taking care of him okay? Let us know if anything happens."

She nodded once as a tear escaped her eye. He smiled and turned to leave, closing the door behind him. Katara turned back to Zuko and rubbed his knuckle with her thumb.

"Please, come back to us. We need you, Zuko."

….

Darkness. That's all he could see. A blackness surrounded him and cloaked him with a heavy weight on top of his body. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak. He just felt stiff. He could barely breathe.

Zuko guessed this is what death was really like. Darkness. Pain. Nothing.

It was better than having Hera ripping him apart again. She had visited him for a second time, offering help again. And he declined, again. For some reason, he thought it was going to be worse this time. But all she did was stand on his throat. Not as bad as it truly could have been.

She was going easy on him for now.

But he still declined. That was a while ago. Zuko didn't know how long he was lying in the darkness, but it was different than the all-white scene that he had been in before. Perhaps he really DID die and now Hera couldn't come and torture him again.

_No, it's not Hera. It's a projection of her. She died. And she is no longer a puppet for him._

He repeated a mantra in his head when she spoke to him. _Hera always lies._

It helped when he was about to break. And so did the fact that he kept picturing Katara. Hearing her talk to him, comforting him and telling him he was going to be okay. It was enough just imagining she was there, knowing for certain she wouldn't in real life. Thankfully his imagination was creative enough to ignore the clenching in his chest after he thought about her breaking his heart again.

After a long while, Zuko didn't know how long, he started hearing voices.

_You really care about him, don't you?_

_I guess I always did._

He couldn't tell who was speaking, but for some reason that response comforted him.

_Shouldn't he have woken up by now?_

_There was a lot of blood loss. We don't know if he will even wake up._

He knew they were talking about him. He was dying. He felt it.

_Zuko, please come back to me. I love you._

What? He felt a pressure on his hand, and something stroking his scarred cheek. He tried to scream out and answer whoever was talking to him and holding him. But when he moved his mouth, nothing came out. He struggled against the invisible bonds and attempted screaming again.

_It's okay, Zuko. Sshh…_

She knew he was struggling. She knew he was in pain. She called out to him again.

"Zuko…"

Her voice was clearer now, like she was right next to him. The pressure on his hand was stronger. As was the phantom wetness he felt running down his own cheeks. The bonds on his body were starting to loosen and he couldn't stop himself from taking a deep breath.

"Zuko?"

_It's Katara._ He could feel the weights lifting. He didn't want to stop fighting. He could feel her, hear her. She was there. She was at the end of the tunnel.

Zuko started feeling a dull pain in his chest and his mouth felt dry. His eyes were tight and his muscles were sore.

"I think he's waking up!" he heard Katara shout. There was a bustle around him and some low chattering. He could see the light through his eyelids.

"Zuko?"

He opened his good eye slightly, spotting the waterbender towering over him. Her eyes were red and had bags underneath them. Her hair was a tangled mess.

"You look like hell, woman," he croaked. She squealed and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He groaned in pain and she pulled away quickly, muttering apologies as she sat back down.

He opened his eyes fully, taking in his surroundings. He was in the hospital, his chest bandaged up. Around him were his friends, all of them looking at him with happiness.

He closed his eyes again and smiled.

"Zuko?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you need anything?" Katara asked softly.

He nodded and opened his eyes all the way, "Water and some good food."

Aang nodded and sprinted out of the room as Katara handed him a glass of water. He sipped it carefully, quenching his thirst.

"How long was I out?" he asked after finishing his third glass.

"A week," Sokka replied. "You really scared us man."

"Yeah, we were really worried, Sparky," Toph added. "But not as much as Sweetness here."

Katara blushed and looked down bashfully. Zuko smiled weakly and grasped her hand. She looked up and locked eyes with him.

"Thank you, Katara," he whispered. "I think it was you that brought me back."

She smiled and then yawned widely.

"Okay, honey he's awake," Suki said, "now it's your turn to get some sleep."

Katara nodded and stood, letting go of Zuko's hand.

"Wait," Zuko started, "did you stay here the entire time I was out?"

"Yeah, she slept in the chair and rested her head on the edge of the bed," Toph laughed. "It was kind of pathetic."

Katara glared at her and huffed, "I was worried, okay?"

Zuko smiled, "Well, thank you. I appreciate it. Will you come back after you rest?"

Katara blushed and nodded, then turned and followed Sokka and Suki out of the room. Zuko smiled as she rounded the corner, leaving him in the room with Toph. She plopped down in the recently vacated chair and propped her feet on the edge of his bed.

"So what did I miss?" Zuko asked a little hoarsely.

"Well other than you almost bleeding out, not much. Oh Sweetness and Twinkle Toes broke up."

Both benders smiled widely.

"Is that it?' he replied hesitantly.

Toph blushed and shook her head, "I have a date now."

"Oh really?" Zuko raised an eyebrow, smirking.

She nodded, "We agreed we weren't going to go on a date until you woke up. And now you're awake. So I have a date tonight."

"Well congrats, Toph," he smiled. "You deserve it. Who's the lucky guy?"

Toph blushed again and grinned. Zuko nodded and sighed in understanding.

"So…"

"That means Katara's available."

Zuko looked away, frowning, "Well last time I spoke to her, she was pushing me away. And I yelled at her. I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. And even if it did, I don't think I could put myself through another heartache like that."

Toph punched his arm and scowled at him, "She just spent a week here, not leaving your side except to eat and use the bathroom. She was crying almost the whole time, squeezing your hand and begging for you to come back. It killed her seeing you like that. If you think she doesn't care, you're a bigger idiot than I thought."

"So what should I do?"

Toph crossed her arms, "Tell her how you feel while sober, first off."

Zuko blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"And I suggest you and her have a heavy conversation about this all."

"That sounds like a somewhat solid plan," he muttered just as Aang walked through the door carrying some food.

"Lunch time!" the airbender said cheerfully as he handed Zuko the tray of food.

"Thanks, Aang."

"Hey, no big deal. I've got to go, you know, get ready for something tonight," Aang started backing out of the room, nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"He knows, Twinkle Toes."

Zuko grinned at the stunned Avatar, who began chuckling.

"So this means you can finally pursue Katara, Zuko!" Aang exclaimed. Zuko glared at his friend, who laughed nervously again. "Sorry about that, by the way."

Zuko waved him off as he took a bite of rice, "It's over. Don't worry about it."

"You sure?"

Zuko nodded with a slight smile. He took another bite of chicken then swallowed, "You learned your lesson. And I learned mine. In the end, we all get we want."

He grinned at Toph next to him, then looked back at Aang, "But if you break _her _heart-" he gestured to Toph "-you answer to ME. Got it?"

Aang bowed deeply, "Yes sir, Fire Lord, sir."

"Good, now get out of my sight. You have plans and I'm tired."

Aang bid his farewell and sped out of the room. Toph stood and popped her joints. She stole a couple fire flakes and headed out the door.

"Get some rest, Sparky. I'll let the Dragon know you're awake."

Zuko nodded as she left the room, leaving him alone. After he finished his meal, he started to feel drowsy again. He took a big drink of water and laid back down against the pillows.

Sleep found him quickly as darkness flooded over him again.

And he wasn't alone.

"Zuko. I see you're back. Ready to reconsider my offer?"

…..

_A/N I know, I'm horrible for torturing Zuko so much. But he seems like the kind of character that can endure these things. I know the "Katara saves Zuko" storyline is done a lot, but so is the "Zuko saves Katara". No way to avoid these kinds of things._

_Reviews are nice, but I don't particularly care. _

_Thanks for reading!_


	15. Violence

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

**Chapter 13: Violence**

The minute Katara's head hit her pillow, she passed out. A week of staggered sleeping and high levels of stress didn't bode well with Katara's health. Even her lack of eating took a toll on her energy. She really couldn't wait until Zuko was awake and she could be reassured that he was going to be okay.

Darkness blanketed over her, paralyzing her body to the bed. Dreams probably weren't going to come to her today, she was too exhausted. But she welcomed the darkness with content. Knowing Zuko was okay now was enough to help her sleep until the end of time.

"Katara, it's nice of you to join me," a soft voice called to her. Katara felt her body roll over and her eyes open, revealing Hera sitting lotus style in front of her. She was wearing her old traveling outfit, purple eyes included.

Katara sat up cautiously, keeping a watchful eye on the woman, "Hera, what is going on?"

Hera lifted her hand and checked her nails for nonexistent grime, "Oh nothing. You're just here for leverage."

"What are you talking about?"

Hera feigned laughter and lowered her hand back to her lap, "The all-mighty Fire Lord slipped out of our grasp. He has much more will power than we gave him credit for. No matter, you're here. So he won't be able to turn down our offer."

Katara narrowed her eyes, "What offer?"

Hera smirked, "Well, you are aware of the situation that led me to getting my eyesight?"

Katara nodded.

"Well, Azula made a deal with my dear old friend and in return I got my deepest desire. He attempted to give Azula her greatest desire, but she died instead. So he targeted Zuko in return for power. His greatest desire was to wake from his coma and see you again. Isn't that sweet?"

Katara remained silent and stared down the woman across from her.

"Well he declined. Multiple times. I'm guessing you would know because of the lovely gashes I left in his pretty porcelain skin. See that's why I have you here, so when I offer him one last time, he won't be able to decline again."

"Why does he want Zuko?"

Hera replied nonchalantly, "The power. He never was able to manifest himself in a physical form. That's why he would settle in people like me, ones who need help. Zuko doesn't necessarily need _help, _but Moradoz wants the power. Someone like Zuko can be easily controlled, given the proper leverage. Meaning, you."

Katara tried to get a grasp on the situation, but couldn't seem to think straight. So she asked the first question that popped in her head, "So how do you fit into all of this?"

Hera sighed, "I was the most recent host of Moradoz. And seeming I died, he can only manipulate people in the Spirit World. He doesn't like to take over weaklings, so he hasn't been able to find another host. In order to get a hold of someone, we have to bring them to the Spirit World. And since we're in the Spirit World, anything that happens to me, happens to him."

Katara furrowed her brow, "So you're saying that if your spirit were to be harmed here, his would be as well?"

Hera shrugged, "I guess so. It's never happened. Zuko wouldn't lay a hand on me. Not that I'd let him."

She had chuckled and smirked cunningly when she spoke, causing Katara's skin to crawl.

"So what are you going to do when he gets here?" Katara spat, "Threaten him with me so he'll agree? Then what? Keep me in the Spirit World forever?"

"Oh no, no, no," Hera sighed. "When he goes back to sleep, he'll be brought here. We'll strike a deal. If he says yes, you're both free to go. Or so to speak. If he declines, I kill both of your spirits, yours first, and THEN you'll be stuck in the Spirit World forever. Well actually, your bodies will be soulless and comatose until the end of time. Either way, I get what I want."

"What you want?" Katara muttered, "Or what Moradoz wants?"

Hera smirked again, "You're clever. It's what he wants. I have no say. As long as I agree with what he says, I get to interact with the real world as often as I want."

"So that time you came to visit us at Ember Island?"

"Oh that was sincere," Hera deadpanned. "I hated Azula. I wanted to see her fall. And she had this misconstrued idea that I was out to get her. I mean, I was. But she thought the whole 'keep your enemies close' thing was legitimate. Oh well."

"Why haven't you tried to fight him?"

Hera stared at Katara for a good long minute, then a shudder ran through her body, "I have no choice. I fight, I disappear. It's happened once. He lit my soul on fire right in front of Zuko to make a point. When I approached you, that's when he had his last straw. I pushed the boundaries too much and now I am cursed to be his body."

"So he's telling you to say these things?"

"Not necessarily," Hera sighed. "He's waiting for Zuko to go back to sleep to guide him here-"

Hera turned around and stood up, "Speak of the devil. Zuko. I see you're back. Ready to reconsider my offer?"

Katara looked around and saw Zuko standing front of Hera, his hair in a messy heap, he was wearing the outfit similar to the one he wore before the comet. The biggest difference in his appearance was the lack of scar on his left cheek. _I guess in the Spirit World, our souls aren't damaged like our physical bodies._

Zuko locked eyes on Katara and then turned and glared at Hera, "Why did you bring her here?"

"Like I told her," Hera said as she examined her nails again, "leverage."

"What kind of leverage are you talking about?" he growled lowly. Hera smirked and turned her back to him, walking towards Katara. She knelt down behind the waterbender and breathed onto her neck. At Zuko's expression of fury, Hera chuckled.

"Does that tickle, Katara?" she murmured. Zuko roared out and clenched his fists, but was unable to more, much like Katara.

"Hera, stop this," he barked.

Hera chuckled and pushed Katara's hair away from her neck, "I think not. See, if you don't accept the offer, I'll have my way with her."

Then Hera stood up straight and she inspected her talon-like nails, "Much like Azula did to me. You know exactly what she did, and I'm willing to give you a demonstration this time."

Zuko was trembling now, his jaw clenched and his fists shaking with rage. Hera merely chuckled and walked in front of Katara, kneeling at her face.

"What do you say, Katara? Should I do it nice and slow so you enjoy it? Or fast so Zuko knows what it REALLY sounds like when you're pleasured?"

Katara snarled and attempted to break out of the hold on her. It was almost identical to bloodbending, but more like she was anchored to the ground, not a puppet in the hands of its master.

Hera ran her hand over Katara's cheek and grinned when she tried to pull away.

"Oh by the way, Zuko," Hera turned and faced Zuko again, who was trying his hardest to move, "That assassin? It was that little girl you ditched at the banquet. A little encouragement from me, and she let us take over. It was easy really. Maybe you should be more accepting to women that want to warm your bed."

Zuko growled, "The only woman I want warming my bed is kneeling behind you. Now let us go and leave us alone. I'm not going to accept Moradoz's offer."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Hera specified. "See, I told Katara here that if you declined, I was going to kill both of your spirits so you were doomed to comatose until the ends of your days."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh I will," Hera lifted up her hand, showing off her claws. "Who should I start with? The Fire Lord, or his peasant lover?"

Katara shouted out, "Zuko! She needs to be killed!"

Hera whirled around and growled, "Keep your mouth shut, you fucking whore."

"What?" Zuko called back.

"Kill her, kill Moradoz!"

Hera strode over and back handed Katara, "Shut your mouth, you Water Tribe peasant!"

Katara keeled over and was stuck to the floor. She looked up and pleaded with Zuko as Hera wound up her arm, preparing to slash at Katara.

Zuko's insides were boiling with wrath. He pushed as hard as he could against the bonds on his body and he could feel them slowly moving. Then with one loud roar, he broke free and sprinted to Hera, who had started descending her arm towards Katara's body. He leapt on top of Hera and tackled her out of the way. He yelled out when her fingers impaled his stomach, lodging themselves in his soft tissue. He ripped her arm away and punched her solidly in the jaw. She reeled back and he pounced on her, grasping her neck and wringing it like a wet towel between his hands. Her fingers and feet began turning to dust and he squeezed her. The disintegrating dust climbed up her limbs as she struggled against his crippling hold. Her eyes began dulling, the purple started fading away towards her pupils, leaving behind the bright gold it had once been. Zuko let go and fell back to his knees, holding his chest as it bled. He stared down at Hera, who was slowly turning to dust. Her eyes looked up at him, gold staring into gold.

Katara sat up, free of her invisible bonds, and crawled to Zuko's side and looked down at Hera with him.

With a sad smile, Hera whispered, "Thank you."

Her spirit disintegrated into nothingness, leaving Zuko and Katara alone for a moment. He slouched and turned to Katara.

"You need to wake up and take care of my body," he groaned as more blood spilled out of his chest wounds. Katara took his face in her hands and kissed his lips fiercely.

"You better wake up after I heal you," she whispered against him. "I don't want to wait again."

He nodded as she stood up and disappeared into the darkness, leaving his spirit to lay in its blood.

….

Katara woke with a start and jumped out of her bed, foregoing her shoes or tying her hair back. She sprinted out of her room and raced down the hallways again, much like she did a week ago. She bypassed guards who tried to slow her down. She even froze one to the wall when he stepped in front of her.

She reached the hospital wing and skidded around a corner, then barreled through Zuko's door. She saw nurses huddled over him trying to stop the bleeding. She shouted and they all moved away, giving her a clear path to his body. She whipped out some water and guided it over his open wounds, which luckily was only the stab wound and the edge of his eye scar. After meticulous effort, Katara sat back in her chair. Zuko was healed, and Moradoz was gone.

She heaved a heavy sigh and rested her forehead on the edge of the bed. A hand rested on the top and stroked her hair. She looked up and saw Zuko smiling at her. She grinned and jumped on top of him, straddling him and grasping his face as she kissed all over his eyes, cheeks and lips. He was chuckling and waved the staff out of the room, who closed the door silently behind them.

"I'm guessing you missed me?" he laughed heartily. She nodded as she continued to pepper kisses all over his face. She pulled away to look into his eyes before kissing his lips fully, securing his bottom lip between her teeth. His hands ran up the sides of her legs and paused at her hips. He pulled out of their kiss and she went down and kissed his neck. He moaned when she suckled on the juncture of his neck and shoulder. He pulled her up again and kissed her fiercely, sticking his tongue in her mouth and caressing it. His hands ran up her waist and pulled her down to lay more on him. She tried to pull away, but his brute strength kept her close. Then, in an act of agility that rivaled the fittest man, Zuko flipped Katara onto her back as he lowered himself onto her. He pressed his groin in between her legs and moaned when he felt her desire for him.

"You _really _missed me," he murmured seductively.

"Well seeing you half naked for an entire week does things to a woman's body," she purred in response. Zuko stilled and looked down, seeing the only thing separating them was the thin blanket that had been draped over him as he slept.

"I was naked that whole time?"

She nodded and stared up at him with lidded eyes. He smirked and pulled the blanket away and then pressed his naked groin against her wet womanhood.

"You aren't wearing wrappings," he moaned in her ear.

"I was too busy trying to keep you alive to worry about wrapping up," she whispered back. He relaxed under her touch and sighed contently.

"Thank you," he breathed into her ear, tickling her neck with his breath again. She wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him closer.

"I'd do anything for you," she sighed. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. They were still for a few moments, eyes locked on each other. Then she moved one hand and grasped his manhood, causing him to hiss out in pleasure. She smirked as she guided him to her slick opening.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly. She nodded and he slowly entered her. She gasped out in pleasure and held his body close. He kissed her nose, forehead and cheeks before thrusting into her again. He grinded against her, grunting every time he sheathed himself fully within her. Her hips rose to meet his and she cried out softly with every rub. He leaned his weight on one arm and reached down with the free one and stroked her bud, causing her to whimper with pleasure. He kept thrusting and kissing her to stifle her moans. His own moans were swallowed by her lips as they moved in an intimate dance.

She felt the orgasm building in her lower stomach and she clenched around him and his thrusts came faster. With a pinch of her bud and a thrust inside of her, Katara gasped out as her orgasm overtook her entire body, tightening her muscles and releasing a flow of ecstasy that flowed through her system. Zuko wasn't far behind, moaning as his release found him.

He buried his face in her neck as he tried to slow his breathing. He chuckled softly as he nuzzled her soft skin, "Being in a coma for a week really takes it out of a guy."

Katara stroked his sweat-slicked back and giggled in reply. He pulled away and stared at her with hooded eyes.

"I meant it," he whispered. "When I told you I loved you. I do. So much."

Katara nodded and lifted her head and kissed him gently, "And I love you, too. I'm sorry it took me so long, but I'm here now. And I'm not leaving."

Zuko pressed his lips against hers again, then he pulled away, "You promise?"

"Yes," she smiled. "I promise."

…..


	16. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or anything associated with it.

**Epilogue**

_Two Years Later_

In his study, Fire Lord Zuko was sorting through scrolls of political squabbles, treaty information, and reports on the economy. He did this almost every night the past year, attempting to fix any and all issues that still plagued his nation. Even after three years of rule, things were still not the best. Although, they had improved immensely since he was crowned. Now, he was still up in the middle of the night again going over some disagreement over land. For some reason, he felt like sending a hawk and telling both men in the argument to shove their issues where the sun don't shine and keep the land the way it was before. He really didn't have time for this bullshit.

Even two years later, problems like this reminded him of how former Councilman Kuron would try to avoid the big issues at hand and try to slip his own daughter into the Fire Lord's bed. The same daughter who tried to kill him. And the old man had the nerve to STILL try to get them together after Zuko returned to the throne after his recovery. Thankfully for Zuko's short temper, the man and his family live in the farthest east island of the Fire Nation.

A light knocking on his door jolted Zuko from his thoughts.

"Enter."

Taron entered and bowed deeply, "My Lord, you have a visitor."

Zuko looked up from his work and furrowed his brow in confusion, "This late?"

"They say it's urgent, sir."

Zuko groaned and waved his hand to Taron, "Send them in."

"Yes, my liege."

Taron bowed again and left the study, closing the door behind him. _What is so urgent that they have to come in the middle of the night? I have things that need to be taken care of immediately. This better be important…_

After a few minutes of waiting, a light knock came from his door.

"Enter," he grunted. When the door opened, a figure stepped in. The person's face was shrouded by a dark hooded traveling cloak. Zuko stared at the stranger and frowned deeply. Gesturing to the chair, Zuko spoke, "Sit. State the purpose of your business at this hour."

The figure nodded and strode to the chair, sitting gracefully. The person remained silent, staring at Zuko behind a shadow. He rose his good eyebrow and started to grow impatient.

"So you got married?" the person asked nonchalantly. The stranger was a woman by the sound of her voice, middle-aged most likely. Zuko couldn't get a read because she was mainly hidden from him.

"Yes, I did," he replied cautiously. "In fact, Katara just had our first son a week ago."

"That's nice," the woman replied. "Does he have a name, yet?"

Zuko shook his head slowly, "We haven't agreed on anything yet… I thought you wanted to discuss an urgent matter. If you just want to have small talk, I suggest you come back at another time. One where I'm not swamped with work and it's sunny out."

The woman laughed lightly, causing Zuko to still. _I know that laugh. Why do I know that laugh?_

"Oh this is an urgent matter," the woman replied. "I feel like I should know about these things. It is my right, isn't it?"

Zuko stood up and glared down at the woman, "Who are you?"

She rose, "I thought you would know, Zuko."

Zuko was stunned when she said his name. _It couldn't be._ The woman lifted her hands and removed the hood, revealing a slender chin with high cheekbones, much like his own. Her eyes were slightly wrinkled, but no longer held the sadness that once had been there. Black hair was pulled into a half top-knot and was speckled with gray streaks. Her golden brown irises stared back at him with what he could only describe as love.

"Mom…"

_**fin**_

_A/N That's the end of Touch of Violet!_

_I hope you enjoyed it and hopefully any loose ends were tied up by the end of the story. It took me a while to write it all so sometimes I forgot little details. But I did my best to fix any holes in the story._

_But if you catch any loose ends, let me know and I'll go back and fix it._

_Stay tuned for "The Swamp"!_

_Thanks again!_


End file.
